


Seduction

by ExtraSteps



Series: Primal Desires [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Mates, Non-Consensual Kissing, Vampires, Violence, Witches, based on a novel series, more tags to follow as fic continues, shapeshifter AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:07:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 99,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25932616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExtraSteps/pseuds/ExtraSteps
Summary: Sold into slavery as a child to a cruel taskmasker, shape-shifter Theo Raeken trusts no one. Not even his own kind. Yet as a member of the Pack - the organisation of shape-shifters who keep watch over the ancient nonhuman races - Theo is fiercely protective of the helpless. Especially when he's asked to guard a little girl with witches' blood - and her alluring human uncle. A man who arouses all of Theo's primal urges.To small-town schoolteacher Liam Dunbar, the massive shape-shifter with glowing amber eyes is as much a dark mystery as the enemy stalking him. Yet Theo is his only hope of surviving. Until their intense passion unleashes his own inner animal with a ferocity that will make the evil Beasts rue the day they messed with his family...and will take Theo by surprise.
Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Series: Primal Desires [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882063
Comments: 121
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

_Lennox, Kentucky_

_Friday Night_

Someone smelled good. No, better than good. Someone smelled downright sinful. And as the warm, manly, mouthwatering scent filled his head, Theo Raeken began thinking that his current assignment was an even bigger mistake than he’d thought it would be. After all, he was standing on a human male’s doorstep at nine o’clock at night, ready to go tell him that he was now under his protection, for God only knew how long, whether he liked it or not. And he was probably going to have to toss in the fact that he wasn’t just an armed, badass-looking bodyguard set on keeping him and his three-year-old niece alive, but a shape-shifter, as well. One who could take the form of a massive, deadly predator. An actual wolf-coyote hybrid shifter, to be precise.

 _Oh, yeah_ , he thought, pushing his windblown hair back with one tattooed hand while the bitter December night twined itself around his body like a cold, clinging lover. _There isn’t a chance in hell that little tidbit is going to go down well._

Theo and his colleagues didn’t know how much Liam Dunbar’s stepsiblings had told him about about the world of preternatural creatures who lived hidden among humanity, the various races collectively referred to as “the ancient clans.” And since they also didn’t know how much he might have been told about the Pack - the organisation of shape-shifters that Theo belonged to, whose job it was to watch over the remaining clansmen - there was a good chance the dude was going to run screaming, hell-bent for leather, the instant he laid things out for him. He might even run the second he set eyes on him. Not that he’d blame him if he was the skittish type. He might not be tall, but packed with solid muscle and sporting a multitude of tattoos and shaggy hair he hadn’t bothered to cut in months, Theo was used to sending men running for cover. They either loved what they saw or didn’t stick around long enough to discover if the “bad boy” was really as wicked as he looked.

The simple fact was that some men had a taste for danger…and some didn’t. Theo had never cared much, one way or another, seeing as his interest in either gender remained purely physical - his inner animal far easier to control when he kept it sated. The only rules that he lived by were that he never messed around with someone unless they understood exactly how much he was willing to offer, that they were built to handle a hard ride, and that they didn’t touch the darker, more primal aspects of his nature.

Of the three, that last rule was by far the most important, and now he had to face the unsavoury realisation that someone in that goddamn house smelled good enough to arouse the dangerous, possessive hungers of his beast...and he was going to be so screwed because of it.

Theo half prayed the mouthwatering scent didn’t belong to the Dunbar man but doubted he would be that lucky. Pulling his hand down his face, he stifled a frustrated snarl and figured he might as well stop stalling and get on with it. As the wind stretched a dark, ominous string of clouds across the hazy glow of the moon, he lifted his right hand and banged his fist against the front door of the brick two-story. While he waited impatiently for someone to answer, he silently cursed the fact that he needed to get laid, in a bad way, while doing his best to convince himself that he was reacting to _that_ scent only because he’d been forced to live like a monk for too many weeks. He wasn’t the type of man to go without, his primal instincts constantly driving his sexual hungers to an urgent, aggressive level, but it was bloody hard to pick up people in the middle of a war. He’d been so busy in the past month, most nights he just collapsed into bed and didn’t move until it was time to get up and start all over again the next day.

Not that the Hales and the Pack were making a lot of progress. Though the Hales were one of the most powerful of the ancient clans, their bloodline had been dormant for centuries, until the recent return of the Beasts and the beginnings of the war. A vile race of immortal creatures who’d been imprisoned over a thousand years ago for their crimes against humanity and the other clans, the Beasts had somehow begun escaping from Eichen - the metaphysical holding ground that served as their prison - and returning to this world. The first had returned at the end of the summer, with more and more following in recent months. They were now hunting down the Hales, one by one, exacting a bloodthirsty revenge against their ancient enemy.

As a result of the Beasts’ return, the Hale blood within the original clan’s descendants was awakening, and some Hales, like the Argents, were now waging a fight against the monsters, along with the help of the Watchmen. Derek had actually been the first Hale to be awakened, and thanks to Derek’s sister, Cora, it was the Hales and Theo’s Pack unit who were conducting the search for the Dark Markers. As they were the only known weapons that could destroy a Beasts’ soul and send it to hell, the Markers were invaluable in their fight against the Beasts. The mysterious pikes had been hidden across Europe and the Americas in order to keep them from falling into the wrong hands, and Theo and his friends were doing everything they could to track them down. But it wasn’t enough. Despite the fact that they’d now managed to find five of the hidden Markers, giving up only one to the enemy, their side was losing the war - and Theo wasn’t a man who liked to lose. He’d spent too many years under the thumb of his enemies when he was younger. Now, at the age of thirty-four, he was a man who liked to fight hard and come out on top, no matter what it took to get there. He’d been working his ass off to make sure that he and his friends were going to end this conflict as the victors, and he wanted to be out in the field, continuing the fight. Not acting as a goddamn babysitter.

Around him, the night was strangely silent but for the rustling of the leaves in the trees, the other four houses in the cul-de-sac already dark, though strands of Christmas lights continued to flicker around two of them. Just as he raised his hand to knock for a second time he heard the back door open and close. It barely made a sound - just a soft brushing of the mechanism clicking into place - but it was enough for his sensitive hearing to pick up. Cocking his head to the side, he listened as someone quickly made their way down a set of steps, their gait uneven, as if they were carrying something heavy on one side of their body.

With his left hand braced on the porch’s wooden railing, Theo vaulted over the top, landing with a soft thud in the damp grass at the side of the house. His mouth watered when he drew in a deeper take of that warm, rich scent as it rode the wintry breeze, stroking his senses like a physical touch. The predatory beast within him stretched into a fuller awareness, its gravelly voice rumbling from deep within, vibrating through his body like a shock wave.

_Stalk. Cover. Take._

Cursing under his breath with a bitter surge of frustration, Theo wondered why things just kept getting crappier for him, rather than better, since this was the last damn thing he needed. One would think that fighting on the “good” side against a sadistic, merciless evil would earn him some karma points from at least one freaking entity in the universe, but his luck just kept slipping deeper into shit.

Then again, he mused, scraping his rough palm against the bristled surface of his jaw as he moved silently through the shadows, maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. Theo knew firsthand that the good didn’t always come out on top. And if they did, it usually took a hell of a lot of time and pain to get there.

Coming around the corner of the house, he stepped into the backyard...and instantly caught sight of the man, his exceptional night vision enabling him to clearly make out his form in the darkness. He could see that he wasn’t overly tall for a man, probably no more than five-five, his shoulders wide, graceful hands struggling to control a bulky piece of luggage. He looked as though he was in a hurry as he hefted the suitcase into the trunk of a compact Honda, then slammed it closed. He also looked nervous as hell, his hands visibly shaking as he seemed to take a moment to listen to the night. Did he know that trouble was on its way, then? Know that the ones who’d killed Allison Argent, his eldest stepsibling, and kidnapped Josh Diaz, the youngest one were now after the little girl he was protecting? Is that why he’d left his home to stay here, at the house of a friend who’d gone out of town?

If so, it had been a foolish move on his part, because the house couldn’t have been in a worse location. It sat at the far end of a quiet country neighbourhood in a sprawling cul-de-sac, surrounded by woods, the only access road providing the perfect place for an ambush. Theo had spent the last week about a hundred miles south of Lennox, searching for the fifth Dark Marker along with fellow Pack member Brett Talbot and their human colleague, Nolan Holloway. They’d found the pike that morning, and would have already been on their way back to Colorado with it, where the compound they called home was located in the Rocky Mountains, if it weren’t for the unexpected phone call that had brought them to Lennox instead. Theo now carried the ornate pike, shrunken down, in his back pocket, and Brett and Nolan were patrolling the woods, on the lookout for the Beasts. Allison Argent’s ghost has been in contact with them, warning that the bastards were coming for her daughter, and Theo knew better than to underestimate them. If he’d managed to find Liam Dunbar and his niece at this remote location, the Beasts would, as well.

As if he suddenly sensed his presence, the man turned, caught sight of him at the corner of the house, then immediately started to run. Without thinking about which direction he was headed, simply reacting to the fact that he was running _from_ him, Theo found himself sprinting across the grassy backyard and taking him down. He started to cry out, but the sharp sound was cut off as they landed heavily on the cold ground, momentarily knocking the wind out of both of them.

 _Hard_ . That was the first word that came to mind as he lay heavily against him, his chest to his back. _Sweet_ was the second. He usually went for his men a little sturdier than this one, so that he didn’t have to worry about hurting them when he let go, but he couldn’t deny that he liked the feeling of his lithe, deceptively muscular body trapped beneath him.

Without thinking it through, acting purely on animal instinct, Theo lowered his head and nuzzled the warm, tender patch just behind his right ear. The heavy silk of his dark hair tickled his nose, the sleep strands smelling of pine and spring and things that were too damn tender for this world. His long frame began to shake, something thick and hot rushing through his body, as if a biting, visceral craving unlike anything he’d ever experienced had been injected directly into his veins, poisoning his reason.

A rough noise vibrated in the back of his throat, and he jerked from shock when he realised he was actually purring.

 _Bad_ , he silently snarled, and he stilled, not even breathing, whole a deeper, more guttural voice chanted “ _Keep him_ ” within the darkness of his mind.

 _No_ , he growled, shaking his head so hard that his long hair flew around his shoulder. _No way. Not possible_ , the rational, human part of his mind argued, while the rest of him went into total meltdown, coming undone, something dark and possessive clawing against his insides, demanding its freedom.

_Need him. Naked. Now._

He was, to put it bluntly, completely screwed, and as his body crushed his against the ground, two thoughts fired simultaneously through Theo’s brain, obliterating everything else. The first was that he felt better than anyone else he’d ever had beneath him, even if he was a human. The second was that he needed to get the hell away from him, before he ended up making the biggest mistake of his life.

The second idea was completely born from the first, and the first had so many tangled layers to it, it was difficult to find his way through them all. He’d known he smelled good, but now that he was so close to him, the effect was staggering, like some tantalising cross between the dangerously forbidden and the comforting warmth of home. He fit against him in a way that just seemed _right_ , and there was something painfully erotic about the soft, gasping sound of his breathing...the way he squirmed to get free.

 _Just calm down_ , he thought, struggling to hold himself together. _And while you’re at it, get a fucking grip._

All right. Okay. He could do this, damn it. He just had to think it through. Wrap his mind around it. There had to be a reasonable explanation for his reaction, because human male did _not_ call to his beast this way. That was why he slept with them - for the sheer fact that they did _not_ affect him...that they were safe. If someone had asked him to explain why he liked to bed down with the things he most hated, that would have been the answer right there - the fact that he remained completely untouched by the humans he had sex with. For the most part, he still considered humanity to be nothing more than a cesspool of greed, filth and perversion, aside from the select few he now considered his friends. And yet, even though he loathed their species, he never hurt the humans he slept with. Never allowed that darker side of his nature its freedom.

 _You’re just in a bad way. It’s been too long for you. That’s all it is_ , he silently argued, forcing his locked muscles to move, and he managed to lift himself away just enough that the man could roll over beneath him. Then everything went to hell, because the instant Liam Dunbar was on his back, he stared directly up into his narrowed, no doubt “changing” eyes and the only thing Theo could manage to say was “Shit.” A red, steamy haze instantly filled his vision, and his cock went so hard he was half afraid he could go off right there, inside his fucking jeans. He might have been on the delicate side, but his chest was incredible against his own, his nipples hard beneath the fabric of his sweater. His soft lips were moving, no doubt cursing him to hell and back, but he couldn’t hear his words over the roar in his ears. Through the dizzying, deafening storm of hunger, Theo watched helplessly as he stretched the other man’s arms above his head and pinned his wrists against the cold ground with his left hand, the aggressive reaction so at odds with the way his right thumb tenderly stroked the edge of his jaw.

It didn’t matter how hard he tried, he simply couldn’t stop staring down at the strange little human, completely mesmerised by the things he could see...and even more by the things he could _sense_.

The heat blooming beneath the tanned glow of his skin.

The provocative rush of blood pounding through his veins.

The shady rise of desire as it hardened his body.

Then he exhaled a sharp, shivery breath, the scent of his mouth filling his head, and Theo realised he’d made a fatal error. A serious miscalculation. He’d thought he smelled good on the outside, but it was nothing compared to his scent on the inside, the salty tang breaking him down. He could only imagine how perfect it would smell when his warm juices were slipping from his cock like honey, pooling like melted sunshine against his stomach. He would be mouthwatering - hot and slick and exquisite - and in that instant the man faded to the background of his mind...and the animal took over.

One second he was poised above him, and the next thing Theo knew, he’d taken his mouth, thrusting his tongue deep, tasting him completely, the kiss just shy of violent as he sought out that rich burst of flavour. A devastating burst of pleasure poured through his muscles and his limbs, scorching every inch of his body, inside and out - the painful, gnawing need so much worse than it’d been before.

He smelled delicious...and somehow tasted even better. Though he knew it was madness, the feral part of his soul was roaring that he needed to mount him, penetrate him and fill him up with a hot, thick surge of come before he could get away. He growled low in his throat, wondering where that strange urge was coming from, compelling him to do the unthinkable as he pushed himself between his thighs in a hard, aggressive movement. He’d never willingly spilled himself inside of _anyone_ , and he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.

A chilling shadow from his past crept through him, but he mentally shoved it away, fighting against that slick, nauseating pull. _Never_. He would never go down that path again. Which meant that he needed to get away from Liam Dunbar...and stay away. Now. The sooner the better, for both their sakes.

If he could just get him and the kid out of there, he could take them to a motel. Then he could switch up - to hell with the promise he’d made his friends back in Colorado - and hand him over to Brett. Let the born wolf deal with him, while he protected them from a distance.

Struggling to find the presence of mind to break away from him, Theo became painfully aware that he was grinding against him now, thrusting his hardened cock against the other erection trapped between them. Even as he fought to hold back the release of his claws, his fingers and gums burning with the need to change, he was eating his way into his mouth, unable to stop. His beast had hijacked his body and he was helpless in the face of its primitive demands. Once he’d started kissing him, he was lost. And God help him, it felt as if he was actually kissing him back, his tongue rubbing against his, his sweet breaths filling his mouth as he shifted his head from one side to the other, searching for a deeper angle...a way to get even more of those soft lips and the sleep, lush warmth that lay within.

It completely unnerved him, how lost he was to the act, considering he’d never been all that interest in losing himself in the taste of a human’s mouth before. After all, there were always more interesting things a human could be doing with their lips and their tongue. And for some reason, Theo had always viewed a kiss as something a little too intimate for the kind of affairs he had with humans.

But he was kissing the hell out of the little human trapped beneath his body and the cold, hard ground, and he never wanted to stop. He was also dangerously close to taking him right there, and he could _not_ let that happen, for too many reasons to count.

_He’s one of them, you idiot. A fucking human. Do you even know what you’re doing?_

With a deep, bitter snarl, Theo finally managed to pull away from the drugging depths of pleasure, breaking the contact of their mouths. But it wasn’t easy. Breathing hard, his heavy chest rising and falling beneath his black shirt, he forced himself to change the position of their bodies, pinning his hips between his own rigid thighs. With that done, he wiped the back of his wrist over his damp mouth as he struggled to calm his thundering heart rate.

“Who are you?” he demanded. “Get off me!”

For some reason he couldn’t understand, Theo found the deep timbre of his voice completely charming. It probably made him nine different kinds of insane, but watching the way his mouth trembled as he scowled up at him just made him want to kiss him again.

“Are you deaf?” he cried out. “I said to get off!”

He kept his wrists pinned against the weak blades of winter grass and did his best to ignore the devastating effect of his struggling body beneath him. “Just take a deep breath and calm down,” he choked out. “I’m one of the good guys, okay? I’m not going to hurt you.”

His eyes went wide with disbelief. “Yeah, right. What kind of moron do you think I am?”

Even in the frosty, moon-drenched darkness, Theo could see him clearly, though he knew he remained mostly in shadow to his human vision. His unusual blue eyes were bright with shock, his mouth swollen from the hard aggression of his kiss - the pink, full lips tempting him to take them again. The rational part of his brain knew that his individual features weren’t the most attractive he’d ever seen - that they were more chiselled and rugged than soft - and yet he was completely mesmerised by them. He was undoubtedly hot, but he couldn’t stop staring with rapt absorption, as if he was gazing down at the most exquisite, provocative human ever created.

Clearing his throat, he somehow managed to say, “Seriously, I mean you no harm,” then immediately winced, thinking he sounding like some geeked-out alien trying to reassure the panicked earthlings that he came in peace. What in God’s name was wrong with him?

“How do I know that?”

“Because if I wanted to hurt you,” he countered in a gravelly tone he was determined to keep even and calm, “I’d have already done it.”

A bitter laugh spilled from his lips. “And that’s supposed to make me trust you?”

“I don’t give a damn if you trust me or not. But you’d better do what I tell you if you want to make it through this alive, because the bad guys probably aren’t far behind me.”

“What do you want from me?” He forced each word out through his gritted teeth. “Why are you here?”

He continued to pull at his trapped hands, but Theo wasn’t ready to let them go, knowing he could only try to strike out at him and end up hurting himself. “I’m someone who was sent here to keep you alive.”

“That’s not possible.” His words suddenly trailed off, the look of rising horror on his face tearing at him like claws. “Oh, my God,” he whispered. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? You son of a bitch. Allison said they could look human. You’re one of the bastards who killed my sister!”

“I’m not a bloody Beast,” he growled, scowling down at him.

“Right! And I’m just meant to believe you?”

“Well, if I was, you could bet your sweet little ass that I wouldn’t have been knocking on your front door. And I wouldn’t be taking the time to talk to you, either,” he finished in a guttural snarl, his own temper beginning to get the better of him.

He calmed a little at his words, sinking his teeth into that full lower lip that Theo knew was going to play front and centre in his dreams, obviously thinking over what he’d said. Then he took a deep breath, slowly exhaled... and finally stopped fighting his hold. “If you’re not one of the monsters,” he questioned in a hesitant voice, "then just who in God’s name are you?”


	2. Chapter 2

Knowing this was going to be the tricky part, Theo stalled, using the time to simply appreciate the way his hair spread out against the ground beneath him, the dark colour shimmering in the silvery glow of moonlight. It contrasted sharply with the healthy glow of his skin, the blue ocean of his eyes. When he found himself fighting the urge to lean down and nuzzle his nose against the dark strands, he coughed to clear his throat again. “I’ve come here to help you,” he told him. “Your sister’s the one that sent me.”

“Now I know you’re lying.” He bit out the words, resuming his struggles. “My sister is dead.”

“Your sister is yes.” His tone turned gruff as he noticed that shine of tears threatening to spill from his eyes. “But your brother has been taken.”

“What?” He visibly swallowed, trembling beneath him. “What are you talking about?”

“The youngest witch. The Beasts have taken him prisoner.” Rough, husky words that, if he didn’t know better, almost sounded as if they had an undercurrent of emotion to them. “We’re not sure where they’re keeping him, but we’re working on it.”

“You mean Josh isn’t dead?” His voice cracked as tears flowed from those blue eyes, and the tip of his nose turned an adorable shade of pink. Though Theo figured he had to be at least in his mid-twenties, there was an innocence about him that made him seem younger...and made him feel like a lecherous old geezer. “Answer me, damn it. Are you saying that Josh wasn’t murdered?”

“As far as we know, he’s still alive.”

His shock was obvious, as was his hope that he was telling the truth. “We never found a body,” he whispered, “but...he’s been missing for over a month. When Allison’s body was found three weeks ago, I… I just assumed that they’d gotten Josh, too.”

“Yeah, well, they _do_ have him,” he said in a low voice. “But for some reason they haven’t killed him yet.”

His gut twisted at the realisation that he would eventually have to reveal the specifics of his eldest stepsister’s death, and how it had led to the hunt for his niece. “It’s Allison, though, who is communicating with Lydia.”

He shook his head, his confusion obvious. “I don’t understand. Who is Lydia? How can she communicate with my sister?”

Biting back a groan of frustration, Theo finally levered himself off his body and stood, then offered him his hand, pulling him to his feet. He’d have been lying if he’d said that he didn’t ache to pull him against him, moulding him against his hardness, but he quickly released his hand, taking a shaky step back, his fingers swiping nervously at the tears glistening on his cheeks. As he ran his gaze down his body, he realised he’d been wrong to think of him as a “dude.” Though he was dressed in faded jeans and a simple, slightly worn grey sweater, he had class written all over him. A fact that set him even further out of his reach, seeing as how he avoided classy humans like the plague, since they tended to turn their noses up at what he was willing to offer. Which wasn’t a hell of a lot.

“I’m waiting for an explanation,” he said firmly, his voice starting to even out.

“Aw, fuck.” He lifted one hand, rubbing at the back of his neck. “This is the part I’m no good at.”

“Well, give it a try,” he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “Because I’m completely freaking out here.”

Theo did his best to keep his eyes focused on his face, and not on the clearly defined pecs being pushed up by his arms. He clearly worked out, and it made him want to strip off that sweater and explore the hard planes of his body underneath it. “First, where’s the kid?”

He tried to give him an innocent blink. “What kid?”

“You can’t lie worth a damn,” he said in a low voice, “so don’t even try it. It’s just going to waste our time, and we don’t have any time to lose. You’re taking care of Allison’s daughter. I think Lydia said her name was Tori.”

His eyes tightened, his expression filling with hard determination. “She’s my niece, and I’m not just taking care of her. I’m going to adopt her and raise her as my own. And God help anyone who tries to stand in my way.”

Theo arched his right eyebrow. “If you’re so protective of her, why did you start running off without her the second you laid eyes on me?”

His fear momentarily forgotten, he vibrated with anger as he pointed his finger in the direction of the house. “I was running _toward_ the back door, you asshole! I was running to get back to Tori, not away from her!”

He grunted, feeling every bit like the asshole he’d just accused him of being. “Where is she?” he asked, hoping the kid wasn’t watching them from one of the windows.

For a moment all he did was glare at him, his gaze piercing and sharp, making him feel as if he was sizing him up, doing his best to figure him out. Just when his patience was about to snap, he said, “Tori’s watching _Hercules_ upstairs.”

Nodding his head towards his car, he asked, “And where exactly were you headed?”

“I was going to search for help,” he replied with a slight shrug.

He didn’t like hearing that, though he couldn’t explain why. Any explanations he could have come up with didn’t make any sense - and he wasn’t about to own up to any of them, anyway. Determined to ignore the strange, possessive edge of his reaction, he simply said, “Help from who?”

“I was going to try to find the Pack.”

He couldn’t help it; he laughed. When he frowned at him, he gave him a mock salute with two fingers against his temple and drawled, “Pack member Theo Raeken, at your service.”

He narrowed his eyes. “That’s not funny.”

Another dark rumble of laughter vibrated in his chest and he shook his head. “Christ, you’re telling me.”

“Then do you care to explain why you’re laughing?” he asked tightly.

The gusting wind pulled the long sun-bronzed strands of his hair across his face, and he lifted his hands, pushing it back. “Because I’m telling you the truth.”

“You’re really one of the shifters? He whispered, his blue gaze moving with slow precision over his body, from his scuffed boots, up his jeans-clad legs, over his ridged stomach and broad chest, until he was once again staring into his eyes.

Feeling as if there were a fire burning inside him, Theo nodded in response to his question, waiting for him to ask what kind of shape-shifter he was. But he didn’t. Instead, he pulled that lower lip through his teeth again and said, “You know, maybe this isn’t necessary.” Soft, quiet words that betrayed his uneasiness. “I’m sure that I can get Tori somewhere safe, and you can just get back to...whatever it is that you do.”

“It’s too late for you to run and hide,” he muttered, absurdly irritated by his reaction. “I’ve said I’m going to protect you, and I will. Which means you’re stuck with me.”

He frowned again, his arms tightening across his chest. “I wasn’t planning on running, but I bet I could hide if I wanted to.”

The slow smile spreading over his mouth had him blinking, and he could literally hear his heart rate speeding up as his face went hot. There was a healthy dose of worry and fear in his tense expression, but there was also desire. Liam Dunbar might not like him, but Theo would have been willing to bet his favourite body part that was he was fully aware of the connection sizzling between them.

And the man thought he could hide from him. Hah. He’d like to see him try.

“Not from me you couldn’t,” he finally rasped.

“Do you have any idea how arrogant that sounds?”

He shrugged his shoulders, liking the way his gaze kept slipping to the bulge of his biceps, across the broad expanse of his T-shirt covered chest, before whipping back to his face. “Not arrogant. It’s just fact. One that you’d be smart to accept. Now that I know your scent, I could find you no matter where you tried to hide from me.”

The words practically reeked of possession, and Theo inwardly groaned. Oh yeah, touching him had been a bad idea, all right. Because now that he knew how he felt beneath him, he just wanted to keep on touching. Hell, who was he trying to fool? He wanted to do a heck of a lot more than _touch_ Liam Dunbar. What he wanted was to lay him down, spread him open and bury his face between his sweet cheeks and lick him until he was wet enough to take every inch he had to give him.

Then he wanted to do it again...and again, until they were both completely destroyed, their bodies wrecked, bruised and limp with exhaustion.

As one of the most primal breeds of shifter, Theo often felt the need for hard, aggressive sex. But this was different, as if “need” were just some paltry emotion that didn’t come close to describe how badly he wanted this man. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like being drawn to a human this way, and his instincts were screaming that he should be wary...cautious. That he could spell trouble for him in so many ways.

He’d known it could happen. There were always certain human who were more attractive to his kind. Ones who could draw him in. Mesmerise the beast. He didn’t know why it happened. Was the phenomenon based purely on scent? Bloodline? Random chance or the fickle hand of fate? Whatever the reason, these humans were the ones to be avoided, and not just because of that “mate for life” crap. That wasn’t possible unless his emotions were to become involved and he was driven to bite them, but they were still dangerous. If anyone had the ability to become his true mate, it _would_ be one of them. One of the ones who personally awakened his beast...who managed to touch the hungers of the animal that prowled within him, as well as those of the man. It was exceptionally rare for it to happen to a Prime predator. And to experience it with a human wasn’t just odd, it was downright wrong. Not to mention potentially disastrous, considering humans were fickle, untrustworthy creatures at best, and his kind mated for life.

For all the catting around the males of his species liked to do, when they stuck, they stuck hard. It was like that with all the Prime predatory breeds. Sure, Raptors were renowned for their possessiveness and their insatiable sex drives, but then so were the furry ones, from the tigers to the wolf breeds, like Brett and his brother Isaac. But the Prime predators took their hungers a step further than the Raptors, needing their fangs buried in the neck of the person they chose to mate for all eternity. They needed the hot, metallic taste of their blood on their lips. Needed to mark their flesh with the provocative power of their bite. Needed them in every possible position that had ever been used between two consenting adults...and a few more thrown in for good measure.

The mere fact that Liam Dunbar was human should have soured him to his taste and his scent, but it hadn’t. No, there was obviously something about the man that did it for him, but Theo wasn’t going to let it screw with his mind. Not if he could help it. If he’d learned anything in his life, it was that humans weren’t to be trusted, no matter how damn appealing they were.

Scrubbing his hand over his jaw, he suddenly asked, “So what is it you do, anyway?” He knew the question was out of left field, but his growing curiousity was too much to ignore. 

“I’m a teacher,” he replied. “But I’ve taken a leave of absence.”

“Teacher, huh?” What exactly do you teach?”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” he said defensively, as if anticipating his reaction, “but I teach History.”

For a moment all he could do was stare, the word running itself around and around in his head while his brain tried to make it compute. He had it bad for a freaking History teacher? So bad he could hardly see straight? When the others heard about this, they were going to be relentless with their ribbing.

His eyes narrowed as he studied his expression. “I said _History_ , Mr. Raeken.”

“Yeah, I heard you. And for the love of God, call me Theo.”

“Then why are you staring at me like I have two heads and just told you that I’m a professional snake charmer?” he asked, his tone as dry as a desert wind.

Theo rubbed his hand over his mouth. “No offense,” he muttered, “but I think I’d have been less surprised by the snake-charmer gig.”

“You are such a strange man,” he murmured, shaking his head, his windblown hair settling around his chiselled face.

“You have no idea.” He sent him a crooked smile, then took a quick glance at the sturdy watch on his wrist. “Go ahead and call down the kid. We gotta get going.”He stared, unmoving, and he made a thick sound of impatience. “Honest to God, Liam, we don’t have the time for you to turn difficult. Not if you want to get out of here alive.”

When he still didn’t move, he ground his teeth together and shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to appear as nonthreatening as possible. “Look, I’m...sorry for what happened,” he offered in a rough voice. “I don’t force myself on people. Ever.” No, he knew too well what it was like to have something taken from you against your will, and he’d vowed at a young age to never make anyone feel that same sense of helplessness, which was why he never got close to someone unless they made it clear that that’s what they wanted. Tonight had been a first, and he was still pissed off at himself for losing control, which was why he was trying to force out this awkward-ass apology. He also figured it would probably be a good idea to throw in _I won’t ever kiss you again_ for good measure, but couldn’t quite get the words out, so he simply tacked on “It, uh, wasn’t my intention to scare you.”

He nodded, still looking a little wary. A second later, he opened his mouth, then closed it again, and he wondered what he’d stopped himself from saying. Whatever it was, he’d obviously decided against it. After a moment he simply asked, “How did you manage to find us here, anyway?”

“I talked to your elderly neighbour back in town.”

“Georgia told you we were here?” he groaned, his expression an adorable mix of worry, anger and frustration as he pressed one palm to his forehead. “What was she thinking? I made her promise not to tell anyone!”

Theo shrugged one shoulder and grinned. “Don’t be pissed at Georgia. She tried to hold firm, but I can be pretty charming when the occasion calls for it.”

“What’d you do to her?” he gasped, eyeing him with a heavy dose of suspicion.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “She’s seventy if a day, Li. It wasn’t like I put any moves on her. All I did was eat some of her lemon cookies and tell her I was a cousin who’d decided to come into town to surprise you. After that she was only too happy to tell me where I could find you. I warned her not to talk to anyone else, but who knows if she’ll do it. So the sooner we can get out of here, the better.”

“I’ll go get Tori,” he told him, heading for the house. After he climbed the porch steps and disappeared inside, Theo paced back and forth across the lawn, sweating despite the chill in the air, his head still dazed from his strange effect on him. It was a good five minutes before he came back out, holding a small child bundled against his chest, the little girl’s face buried in his shoulder.

“Tori, honey, this is the man I just told you about.” He spoke the gentle words into the child’s dark curls, his hold one of tender affection that made him strangely envious. “He’s going to help take care of us on our trip.”

The child lifted her head, flashing him a shy grin. She had big, heavily lashed eyes, delicate features and round, rosy cheeks that made her look like a little cherub. Theo could see the strain on her small face, and could only imagine the hell she’d been through since her world had started falling apart. It made him furious that her family had been left on their own, with no one to look out for them. Cutting a sharp look toward Liam, he said, “If your stepsiblings are descended from the Hale bloodline, then why haven’t you ever been given Pack supervision?” He knew that only the dormant Hale/human bloodlines had been under strict surveillance, but it seemed criminal that an exception wouldn’t have been made for this family, even if they were witches.

“According to Allison, there was never any supervision because we’re not human,” he said, telling him what he already knew. Before he could point out the obvious flaw in his statement, he added, “Now that my father’s gone, I’m the only human Hale. But my stepsiblings were...are McCall witches.”

“So it’s true,” he murmured. “The child is part Hale and part McCall?”

He nodded again, then quietly said, “But only half. Her father was human.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said in a low voice. “The Beasts are still going to be champing at the bit to get their hands on her.”

“But it doesn’t make any sense!” he protested softly, tightening his grip on the three-year-old. Pressing Tori’s head to his shoulder, he covered the little girl’s ear with his hand. “She’s only a child. She can’t be awakened! And her McCall powers aren’t even manifested yet.”

“They’ll want her anyway. Allison said her McHall-Hale blood mix is too strong a lure for them. They’re going to value her power and her bloodlines, even if she hasn’t awakened.”

His rage was obvious, the furious blaze in his blue eyes so intense he could have sworn he felt its heat. “Well, they’re not going to get her.”

“That’s where I come in,” he told him, taking a step closer.

He tilted his head back to stare at him, and Theo could sense just how badly he wanted to believe him. “You’re really here to help us?”

“I really am.” He reached out and ran his thumb over his lower lip, mesmerised by the sight of his dark skin against that smooth, pink surface. His breath caught, and he pulled his hand away as he lifted his gaze. “You know, you’ve dropped the tough guy act. What gives?”

The look he sent him was suddenly pure teacher, thick with disappointment and reproach, and the corner of his mouth kicked up with another crooked grin. “What? Too rude of me to mention? You gonna smack my hand with a ruler?”

Tori wiggled down from her uncle’s arms, then tugged on the leg of his jeans, demanding his attention. When he glanced down, she lifted her chubby arms into the air and said, “Up.”

Praying that he didn’t accidentally hurt her, doing his best to be gentle, Theo lifted the run off the ground, perching her small body on his right arm. “Yeah?” he asked, quietly noting the latent power he could feel humming within her. The keen intelligence burning in his big eyes seemed almost too sharp for a mere toddler, and he made a mental note to question Liam about it when they were alone. 

Acting as though she were about to tell him a secret, Tori leaned her face close to his and whispered, “Li only acts tough when he’s nervous. Or when he’s scared.”

He arched both brows. “Is that so?” he asked, ignoring the almost silent curse that Liam muttered under his breath, his embarrassment obvious.

The child nodded, her dark curls tumbling over her smooth forehead. Looking into her small face made something in Theo’s chest hurt, as if he’d been dealt a physical pain. It was unthinkable that anyone would want to harm something so precious and innocent, but then that was what the Beasts specialised in, things too gruesome and wrong for any normal person to comprehend.

He slanted a curious look toward Liam. “And the idea of the Beasts hunting you down doesn’t make you nervous?”

He crossed his arms, his voice hard with anger as he said, “It pisses me off even more.”

Well, hell, he couldn’t help but admire his spunk. For a History teacher, he was pretty feisty.

“You take care of us now?” Tori asked, pulling his face back to her with the slightly sticky touch of her small hand against his cheek, the scent of chocolate and peanut butter reaching his nose. Her big eyes were so dark, he could see the stars reflected in their depths - and yet there were too many shadows lingering in her solemn gaze, and the pain in his chest got sharper. Theo swallowed against the tight knot of emotion in his throat, but before he could say anything to reassure her, his phone started buzzing on his hip. Liam moved forward, taking Tori from him, and he pulled the phone from its case, thumbing the keypad as he lifted it to his ear.

“S’up?” he grunted, knowing Brett wouldn’t have been calling unless there was trouble.

“Get the hell out of there!” the wolf shouted, breathing hard as if he was running. “They’re closing in on you!”

“How many?” he asked as he dug his truck keys from his pocket, wondering if they had enough time to get out without having to fight.

Before Brett could respond, a series of stark, guttural howls cut through the silent night...and Theo had his answer.


	3. Chapter 3

It should have been a criminal offence for a man to look...well, like this one did.

As he watched him talking on the phone, Liam couldn’t stop staring, soaking up the physical details as if they were something that would prove vital to his existence. Something he might someday need in order to breathe...to live, which probably meant that he was completely losing it. The Pack member was a little taller than him, his mouth-watering body clearly made for fighting as well as a multitude of sins. All ones he was seriously wishing he had the courage to commit, no matter how dangerous he looked.

And he  _ did _ look dangerous. With his long, wavy dark brown hair falling around his wide shoulders, golden skin and long, corded muscles, he was his ultimate Celtic-warrior fantasy come to life, complete with mesmerising tattoos. The dark designs covered the backs of his knuckles and his strong, sinewy forearms from wrist to elbow in a beautiful blend of what looked like pagan symbols. He wanted to lean close and study the intricate patterns. Trace them with the tip of his finger. Feel the strength of his thick, ropy muscles and the heat of his skin beneath the touch of his hand.

But unlike his fantasy lovers, Theo Raeken was so much more than a gorgeous, compelling hunk. Though he still didn’t know what specific kind of shape-shifter he was, Liam had seen the way his eyes had changed as they’d argued, shifting from a gray-green hazel to a hot, glowing amber. There was a primal, predatory edge to the way he moved, and his breath caught as he recalled what it had felt like when he’d been pressing that powerful body against his, thrusting heavily between his thighs. The erotic fricton had been so overpowering...so achingly delicious, that he’d nearly gone screaming over the edge, and his face burned with the thought, even as his conscience argued that he must be out of his ever-loving mind.

_ Stranger danger, you pleasure-starved idiot. Ring any bells? _

Not that he was acting like a stranger. No, he was taking charge as if he’d been born to it, and God help him, Liam was scared and tired enough to let him, the past few weeks of horror and heartbreak leaving him shaken and raw and needed a badass warrior he could rely on. He looked the type that could handle anything, his muscles coiled hard and tight beneath his golden skin, stretching the seams of his black T-shirt as he paced before him, muttering into the phone about the howls being some sort of warning to others than the Pack were there. His glowing amber eyes constantly surveyed their surroundings, looking for danger, and he began to wonder about things he simply didn’t have time to wonder about. He wanted to know if he had a partner, though he doubted it, the idea of monogamy probably repugnant to a guy that threw off his kind of sexual vibe. Wanted to know why he’d joined the Pack. What kind of life he’d led to become so hard and lethal-looking.

But most of all, Liam wanted to know why he’d kissed him. Not that he could actually ask him at the moment, considering something was out in the woods, making the most god-awful sounds he’d ever imagined.

“Don’t be scared, honey,” he whispered against Tori’s silky curls, covering her little ear once again as he pressed the other against his shoulder. He hated that his niece was about to go through what would surely be another horrific situation. Thankfully, Tori hadn’t been with Allison when she was killed, but the traumatic loss of her mother had come just weeks after the disappearance of her beloved uncle Josh. Liam honestly didn’t know how much more the little girl could take, when she’d already been through more than any child should ever have to endure.

Liam was still lost in thought, worrying about Tori when Theo disconnected the call and reached out, taking hold of his arm. “Come on,” he muttered. “We’ve gotta go.”

“What’s going on?” he demanded, though he had a good idea of what was making those terrifying howls.

“I have some friends with me who’re patrolling the woods. The Beasts are on their way.”

As he spoke, he started guiding him around the side of the house, toward a massive blue truck he could see parked out on the curb. At first he was too shell-shocked to react, but then panic took hold and Liam dug in his heels, pulling against his grasp as much as he could with Tori in his arms. “Wait!” he panted, his breaths coming hard and fast. “I have to think for a minute. I need to-”

“Look, you might not be happy about being stuck with me,” he snapped, cutting him off as he spun toward him, “but I’m your best shot at getting out of here alive. And I’ll take apart anyone who tries to hurt the kid,” he added, jerking his chin toward Tori, who had her small arms wrapped tight around Liam’s neck.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” he whispered, rubbing his hand against Tori’s small back. “How do I know this hasn’t all been some sort of elaborate setup?”

“You don’t.” Grim lines creased his expression as he held his stare. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”

Taking a deep breath, he prayed that he was making the right choice. “Okay, all right. What do we do?”

“We’re going to take my truck and get out of here. Then the guys I’m with will come back for your car.”

“No,” he argued, already shaking his head. “We can’t go in your truck.”

He pulled his hand down his face, his gravelly voice thick with frustration. “Christ, Li. This is no time to argue.”

He spoke quickly, knowing they were running out of time. “We have to take my car. It’s already packed with Tori’s things and I can’t risk losing them. They’re all she has from home. From her mother.”

He muttered something foul under his breath, but stopped arguing and barked out a gritty command for him to wait there for him. Liam watched as he ran to his truck, grabbed a duffel bag from the back, then came back, latching onto his arm again as he headed straight for his car. He ran to join him, then buckled Tori into the car seat belted into the middle of the back seat, while Theo held the door open for him. After pressing a quick kiss to Tori’s forehead, he promised his niece that everything was going to be okay and climbed back out.

Liam was about to hand his car keys over to Theo, thinking he’d want to drive, when he dropped his bag on the ground, leaned into the car and slipped something over Tori’s tousled curls. Before he could ask what it was, he looked back, snagging his gaze over his broad shoulder. “You’ve heard of the Dark Markers, right?”

His gaze swung to the ornate miniature pike now hanging around Tori’s neck from a black velvet cord resting against the fuzzy pink heart on the front of her pyjamas. It was incredibly beautiful, etched with tiny intricate symbols that covered every inch of its dark, metallic surface. “Are you serious? That’s one of the ancient Markers?”

He nodded, saying, “We just found this one earlier today,” before turning back to Tori. He lifted her tiny chin with one tattooed finger. “Whatever you do, honey, do not take that off, okay? It’s magic and it’s going to keep you safe. You can even feel its magic when you touch it because it’ll be warm against your skin. Why don’t you try it?”

Tori looked down at the Marker and grabbed hold of it, then stared back up at Theo. “It’s pretty.”

“Yeah, but not as pretty as you,” he told her, ruffling her curls. “Now, promise me you won’t take it off. No matter what happens.”

“Promise,” she whispered, gripping the pike tight with both hands, as if she understood just how serious the danger was.

“Good girl.” He grabbed his bag and shoved it onto the floor behind the seat, closed the door, then turned toward Liam just as another series of shrieking howls echoed through the quiet night. “Shit,” he growled, glaring toward the dark line of trees at the edge of the yard. “They’re too close.”

“Too close for what?” he asked, worrying about the neighbours coming out to investigate the strange noise.

“There’s no way we’re going to make it out before they get here. So we go with plan B,” he explained in a low voice, quickly moving around the back of the car and ripping open the driver’s door.

Following him, he asked, “What on earth is plan B?”

“You drive, I’ll shoot.” He motioned for him to get into the car, then shut his door and reached behind him. Liam’s eyes went wide as he pulled a heavy black handgun from behind his back, where it must have been tucked into the waistband of his jeans, hidden beneath the hem of his shirt.

Silently chanting a mix of curses and prayers, Liam quickly belted in while Theo moved around to the passenger’s side. He folded his body inside the compact interior, then sent him a strange look that would have been funny if he hadn’t been so terrified. “Christ,” he muttered, “I feel like a fucking pretzel in this thing.”

“Fucking pretzel.” Tori giggled from the back seat.

Liam glared at him and he winced, grumbling something about small-ass cars quietly enough that Tori couldn’t overhear him as he moved the seat back as far as it would go.

“So what happens if we make it out of here?” he asked, his hands shaking even harder then his voice as he looked over his shoulder and began reversing out of the driveway. At any moment Liam expected the monsters to come leaping out of the dark, and he fought to brace himself, worried he was going to panic and steer the car straight into a tree, or one of the neighbouring houses.

The gun clicked as he checked the clip, his voice somehow confident and calm as he said, “I need to get you and Tori to the Pack compound in Colorado as soon as possible. It’s called the Preserve and it’s where I live. It’s also one of the safest places there is.”

“We can’t fly there,” he told him, wondering how long he and Tori would need to stay at the compound. It seemed so bizarre, the idea of living under the same roof as a group of strangers. Not to mention with Theo Raeken. “Tori has an inner-ear condition that causes extreme pain at the kind of high altitudes a plane flies. I’ve heard that there’s a new medication for children her age that can help, but the prescriptions are just about impossible to come by.”

“That’s okay. Probably safer right now to stay on the ground anyway, where we’re in control,” he murmured, making him wonder if he didn’t care much for flying himself.

Turning the wheel so that they were facing the road out of the cul-de-sac, he put the car into Drive. “Theo, I have no idea what to do.”

“Just make it fast.” His voice was rough, his expression focused as he started to roll down his window.

Taking a deep breath, Liam gripped the wheel with both hands and floored the gas pedal. The back wheels made a god-awful noise, searching for traction, and then the car finally lurched forward, tearing down the moonlit road. A scraping, sinister howl sounded from somewhere in the darkness up ahead, and he shivered, praying he wasn’t going to throw up from the churning rush of adrenaline and fear.

“What are you doing?” he asked when Theo turned around, reaching into the back seat.

“Putting Tori’s blanket and pillow over her head. The Marker will protect her from the Beasts’ claws and fangs, but she could be cut by the glass if any of the windows get shattered. That’s why I’m covering her up.”

“Oh God,” he groaned, feeling as if he'd slipped into some kind of horrific action movie that has been horribly miscast, terrified he would make a mistake that could cost Tori her life. “Please keep her safe,” he whispered under his breath. “Please, please, please keep her safe.”

Continuing to send up the quiet but fervent prayer, Liam flicked on the high beams and glanced over to see Theo watching him with a kind of confused expression on his rugged face, as if he couldn’t quite understand what he was doing. “What?” he asked, sinking his teeth into his trembling lower lip.

“You really care about her, don’t you?” It was obvious from his tone of voice that the idea surprised him.

“Of course I do,” he snapped. Then in a calmer voice, he said, “Why do you find that so hard to believe?”

He shrugged his broad shoulders, looking as if he was almost embarrassed as he turned his attention back to the road. “I just don’t think a lot of humans feel that way about our kind.”

“You mean I shouldn’t love her because she isn’t human? That’s ridiculous. I couldn’t care less if she’s human or Hale, a mermaid or a fluffy little bunny rabbit.”

“You’d be surprised by some people then,” he muttered. “Not everyone feels the same way.”

Anger made his voice hard. “Then they’re jerks. And brainless ones at that.”

“Can’t argue you with you there,” he drawled in a husky slide of words, and from the corner of his eye, he could see his mouth curve with a wicked, endearingly lopsided grin.

The howls suddenly came again, sounding considerably closer, and Liam gripped the wheel tighter, silently cursing the road for being so damn long. Funny how it had never seemed that way before, and now it felt as if it stretched out forever, like an endless pathway leading straight into hell.

“You see anything big and ugly and blackish-grey, hit it,” Theo instructed him in a low voice. “Just try to avoid a tall guy with brown hair, and one whose hair is dirty blonde, if you see them. They’re with me.”

“Both Pack?” he asked, wincing as he took the next curve too fast and the wheels screeched in protest

“The guy with brown hair is. His name’s Brett. The other’s a human, but Nolan’s fighting with us against the Beasts.”

Looking over his shoulder, he reached back and patted Tori’s leg, his voice raised so that he could be heard over the roaring engine and the guttural howls. “Tori, baby, I need you to cover your ears, okay?”

Liam steered them around the next bend in the road, and without any warning, the first monster came out of the woods, charging the car head-on. The impact as it slammed onto the hood reminded him of the time he’d been rear-ended on the interstate by a drunk driver, the jolt slamming through Liam’s body hard enough to make his bones rattle. Claws screeched against the metal hood as the beast struggled to hold on, the nightmarish sound making him want to scream with terror, though he refused to give in to his panic. Not yet. Not until he’d gotten Tori out of there alive and away from the monsters.

As Theo braced himself in the open window and fired the gun, he knew why he’d instructed Tori to cover her ears. The blast was painfully loud, making him flinch. The car swerved, and Theo slammed into the window frame, a coarse four-letter word jerking from his throat.

“Sorry!” he shouted.

“Don’t worry about it,” he grunted, resettling himself in the open window. “You’re doing great.”

It all happened so fast after that, the details were like a blur. Liam fought to keep the car steady while the other Beast attacked, jumping onto the roof...the hood. Each time he thought they were going to die, Theo would unload a round of bullets, and even with his untrained eye he knew his aim was lethally accurate. Only one of the vile creatures managed to get too close, its razorlike claws just missing his chest as it fought for purchase on the roof of the car. Before it could swipe at him a second time, Theo reached out with his left hand, caught its arm and cracked the bone in half while bringing his gun arm around and nailing the bastard right between its pale, ice-blue eyes. Liam struggled not to gag as its heavy body rolled down the windshield, leaving a bloody streak across the glass as another Beast launched itself toward the car, only to be jerked off its feet as Theo drilled it with another bullet that tore right through the centre of its leathery forehead.

“Don’t freak out,” he whispered to himself, his hands curled in a death grip around the wheel. “Just focus...and keep breathing and whatever you do, don’t pass out.”

One minute the car seemed to be buried in the bowels of hell, and in the next, it was over and they were speeding down the winding road all alone, with nothing but the moonlight and the surrounding forest for company. “Is Tori okay?” he shouted the second Theo had slipped back into his seat and rolled up the window.

Sensing his panic, he quickly turned and leaned into the back seat, pulling the blanket and pillow off Tori’s little body. “She’s fine. A little pale, but she isn’t even crying.” To Tori, he said, “You were so brave, sweetheart. It’s all over now, but I want you to keep the pike for me. Can you do that?”

In the rearview mirror, Liam could see Tori nod her head, but it was difficult to make out her expression in the shadowed interior. He took a deep breath, trying to sound as normal as possible as he said, “I love you, Tori.”

“Love you, too, Li,” Tori called back. From the sound of her voice, you’d never have guessed the child had just gone through a living nightmare, and it made Liam’s insides clench with worry, the fear taking hold of the back of his neck with a cold, clammy clasp. It had a different flavour than the terror that had been riding him during the attack - this one slower, digging down deeper, rooting its way into his heart. 

Settling back into his seat, Theo quietly asked, “Is, uh, that normal?”

Liam knew he meant Tori’s reaction - or lack of one - and shook his head. “I don’t know. She’s been really closed down lately.” He swallowed, trying hard to keep it together. Softly, he said, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about her.”

He flinched as he reached out and settled his large hand on his forearm, its startling heat sinking into his flesh. “You can slow down now, Li. Just pull over here on the shoulder for a minute and get your breath back.”

He hadn’t realised he was still driving at top speed until he pointed it out, and he immediately did as he said. The night seemed unusually silent without the engine roaring, and as the car came to a slow stop, he pressed his forehead to the steering wheel, his chest hurting from the ragged force of his breathing. “They’re going to keep coming for her, aren’t they?” he whispered, wondering if he would finally throw up now.

“Yeah.” Liam turned his head to look at him, his expression obviously stricken, and he felt the powerful intensity of his stare as he studied his face all the way down to his bones. Felt it in his blood and his stomach and the tightness of his chest. “I know that’s not what you wanted to hear, but I’m not going to lie to you, Li.”

“Well, that’s something, then,” he murmured, unable to ignore the strange sensation that he was actually telling him the truth. Honest men, in his experience, were few and far between. He’d have pegged Theo Raeken as the kind of guy that could smooth talk his way right out of any uncomfortable situation, sugarcoating the truth if it made things easier for him, but maybe he’d been wrong. “Have you had to do that a lot?”

“Do what?” he rumbled as he undid his seatbelt again. Leaning forward, he reached behind him and slipped the handgun back into the waistband of his jeans.

“The gun thing,” he explained. “You were deadly accurate with it.”

Pushing back the thick strands of his hair, he slid him a wary glance, as if worried about how he was going to take his answer. “I’ve had to make kills when the circumstances called for it.”

Liam nodded, squeezing his cold fingers around the padded wheel. “That’s not surprising, I guess, except that I thought the Pack were meant to be neutral or something like that.”

“For the most part, yeah, we are,” he explained. “When it comes to the clans, our directive is to simply monitor and report our findings. But there are times when we’re called on to take down something that needs to be taken down.”

A shiver travelled up his spine. “Well, I think the Beasts certainly fit into that category.”

“You’d think, wouldn’t you?” he muttered, his tone bitter. Before he could ask what he meant, he changed the subject, saying, “Why hadn't you left town, anyway? After what happened to your stepsiblings, I would have thought you understood how dangerous it was for the two of you here.”

“Well, we haven’t been alone,” he explained, noticing that his eyes had gone back to hazel, though they still smouldered with an unearthly glow of light. “Up until this morning, Tori and I had a houseful of aunts and uncles from my father’s side of the family staying with us. Two of them are actually retired law enforcement, so I felt we were safe with them there. They came in for Allison’s funeral, but after being here for several weeks, they needed to get back to their lives, especially with the holidays coming up. The house finally cleared out this morning.”

“So they just abandoned the two of you?” Rough words that practically vibrated with outrage.

“It wasn’t like that,” he told him, turning to stare through the windshield. “Remember, they’re human, like me. They don’t know anything about the clans or how Allison really died or what’s happened to Josh. As far as they knew, a wild animal attacked Allison, and most of them believe Josh’s flighty enough to take off on his own without telling anybody. Several of my aunts invited me and Tori to stay with them, but how could I say yes, knowing the danger we would have brought with us? I can only assume that the sheer number of people we’ve had at the house forced the Beasts to bide their time, but they wouldn’t be daunted by a few humans once our numbers were smaller.”

“So you decided to leave?”

Liam nodded. “I packed the car up early this morning and we left the house. I figured it would be safer to drive out of town at night, and I actually had an important meeting in town late this afternoon with Allison’s lawyer that I couldn’t miss. So we went up to my friend Kira’s house for the day I thought we’d be safe there, but I guess my mistake was in telling Georgia where we were going.”

Slanting him a worried look, he said, “You don’t think the Beasts have hurt her, do you? She must have told them about Kira’s house, the same way she told you.”

“Maybe not. Depending on how good a lead they had on your scent, they might have simply tracked you there.”

“They can do that?” he whispered, feeling as if every ounce of blood had just drained from his face.

“Yeah, and you didn’t travel that far from home.” He took a deep breath, and his voice seemed even deeper as he said, “Your scent is...unique, Li. Different. I’m not sure if they can track Tori’s Hale blood, as they do with the other Hales, since she’s so young, but there’s a good chance they could have followed you.”

“Great,” he groaned, wondering why he would have to be the freak with the “unique” scent, whatever that meant. “Will they be able to track us out of town?”

“Not as easily, and we can keep ahead of them if we’re careful. But it’s still going to be a dangerous trip. They’re going to guess we’re headed for Colorado, which means we’re going to need to avoid the direct routes as much as possible.”

“This all seems so unreal.” He shook her head again, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t even know what I’m doing.”

“You’re doing fine. Hell, just look at how you handled yourself tonight. You drove like a demon, and not everyone could have done that.” His pulse rate climbed as he gave him another one of those sexy, lopsided smiles that just seemed to intensify his outrageous appeal. “I never thought I would say these words, but you are one badass History teacher.”

Though he felt oddly torn between laughter and tears, his husky words filled Liam with a strange bubble of warmth that managed to ease some of his fear, which was probably what he’d been after. “You know,” he said shakily, looking away as he felt his face go warm, “this is probably going to sound crazy, but I think that’s the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me, Theo. Thank you.”

As the heat from his gaze lingered on his profile, he wondered what he was gearing up to say, but then  his phone rang, interrupting the moment. He quickly took the call, asking if everyone was okay, while Liam twisted around in his seat to check on Tori, who seemed to be quite happy as she studied the beautiful pike that Theo had hung around her neck.

“When you’re done taking care of the bodies,” he said into the phone a moment later, “meet us over at the gas station we stopped at earlier. Had to leave my truck back at the house, so we’re in a red Honda.”

“Are they all right?” he asked when he ended the call.

“Yeah.” He slipped the phone back into its case, then raked his hair away from his face again. “A little banged up, it sounds like, but then they’re used to that. Brett thinks they took down around seven of the bastards in the woods, which means there were about twelve of them altogether if you count the ones that attacked the car.”

“That seems like a lot,” he murmured, pulling back out onto the road. The only gas station remotely close to their location was a mile away, so Liam headed in that direction, assuming that’s where his friends would be meeting them.

“They’re coming through faster and faster,” Theo grunted, his right arm braced against the door, his hand resting against his mouth as he sprawled against the back of the seat in one of those casual poses that had always struck him as beautifully male. “But to send that many tells us that your sister was right. They’re eager to get their hands—” He cut himself off, obviously not wanting Tori to hear, but Liam knew what he’d been about to say. The monsters wanted to get their hands on his niece. On a precious, innocent little girl.

“I don’t understand,” he whispered. “It just…it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t apply logic to these things, Li.” The words were straightforward enough, but he could tell from his tone that there was something more. Something he either didn’t want him to know or that he couldn’t say in front of Tori. His body ached as the worry settled deeper into his bones, the past few weeks making him feel as though he’d aged ten years.

They pulled into the gas station a few moments later, and he parked in the back of the lot. While they waited for his friends to arrive on foot, Liam made a quick call to Georgia, who thankfully was fine. The elderly woman claimed that Theo had been the only person to come asking about him and Tori, which meant that the Beasts had likely followed his scent to Kira’s house, just as Theo had suggested. Unnerved by the chilling thought, Liam fought to put a smile on his face as he twisted back around in his seat and chatted with Tori some more. The little girl still seemed remarkably calm, considering what they’d just been through, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in her clever little mind.

Though Tori was like a human child in so many ways, Liam knew that his niece was far from what the world would consider normal. Her Hale blood might have been dormant, but she was still a McCall. Once a powerful, diverse clan of witches, the clan’s magical powers had been bound by a curse—and it was because of this centuries-old curse that the McCall now magnified the emotions of all those around them. All of which meant that Tori would carry a tremendous amount of power trapped inside her body as she grew older. She would also eventually suffer from the curse, the same as her mother and her uncle Josh. But Liam didn’t care that Tori wasn’t normal. The fact that she wasn’t human certainly didn’t make him love the little girl any less, as Theo had suspected.

And yet he couldn’t help but worry, not only about the dangers that lay ahead but whether he understood enough about the world of the clans to be a good protector for Tori.

_ You’ll learn what you need to know, because you love her. Because you love her enough to do whatever it takes. _

Silently praying that he wouldn’t fail, Liam tucked a fuzzy pink blanket around Tori’s small body as the child cuddled up with her teddy bear to watch a Disney movie on Liam’s tablet. He’d just turned around and settled back into his seat when Theo said, “That’s Brett and Nolan over there.” He nodded toward two dark, muscular men who were making their way across the empty parking lot, and he shook his head, wondering what it was about these guys. Did all the Pack look like this? The one named Brett was tall, and nearly as gorgeous as Theo, though he looked as if he’d just taken part in a vicious fight, his face scraped down one side, his black T-shirt ripped at the shoulder. He had brown hair a few shades darker than his own, so that it appeared almost black in the moonlight, and piercing blue eyes that were still glowing unusually bright, attesting to the fact that he was something more than a mere man.

While Brett’s heavily muscled physique reminded her of a professional football player, the guy walking beside him could have stepped right out of a rock video. He was attractive in a dark, sinister kind of way, his long body wrapped entirely in black, the corner of his sensual mouth bloodied from their run-in with the Beasts. His thick dirty blonde hair was spiky from the wind, and despite being human, his eyes burned a pale, unusual shade of blue, almost like that of the creatures that had just attacked them. Trying not to stare, Liam wondered if Theo had been completely honest with him about Nolan’s species, but couldn’t imagine why he would have lied.

“I need a few minutes to talk to them,” Theo said in a low voice, the gruff edge to his words making Liam wonder if he didn’t care for the way he’d been looking over the other two men. Not that that made any sense either, but then, it truly seemed a night for the bizarre. To be honest, at this point he didn’t think anything could surprise him.

He didn’t realise how lost he was in his own little world until he barked his name so sharply it made him jump. “You in there?”

“Sorry,” he murmured, gesturing his hand toward his door. “You go on and talk to your friends. We’ll wait for you here.”

***

_ So this is it _ , he thought, shutting the car door and heading across the tarmac.  _ Crunch time. _

If he was going to pass him off to Brett, Theo knew it was now or never.

Glancing back at the car, he felt the idiotic urge to go and toss Tori’s blanket over Liam’s head. He didn’t want the guys ogling him, knowing damn well that they would. Nolan’s reputation was nearly as sordid as his and Brett’s. And Liam wasn’t the type of person that a man could miss. Everything about him was designed to draw attention, from his intelligent gaze to his full mouth, and that dark hair of his was something else. Even with the shining strands tangled around his face from their earlier scuffle on the lawn, he looked delicious. Touchable. Earthy and soft and warm.

He’d actually put his trust in him to get him and Tori out of there alive, and he couldn’t stop thinking about it, even though he knew it was dangerous to make too much of it. To allow it to mean anything to him. Who knew what he was really like? What he was really after? Humans were tricky creatures at the best of times. After a lifetime of experience, Theo knew this as a given fact, just as he knew that he’d do well to stay as far away as possible from the very male,  _ very human _ Liam Dunbar. And yet he couldn’t do it.

Alarm bells were going off left, right and centre in his head, but he ground his teeth and ignored them. It just wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t simply walk away, knowing his life was in danger, and leave him under another man’s protection.

Hell, even if he passed him off to Brett and tried to protect him from afar, he knew the born wolf would charm his way into his pants the second he got the chance. Then Theo would end up having to kill Isaac’s little brother, and he’d have the bloody wolf at his throat night and day.

_ Thanks, but no thanks. _

“So is that him?” Brett asked when they drew closer, the Pack member’s curious gaze trained on the car…and the captivating man sitting in the front seat. Brett drew in a deep breath, pulling in his scent, then gave a low, rumbling groan. “Oh, man. This just isn’t fair, Theo. How come I get stuck with Holloway and you get the yummy human?”

“Don’t start,” he warned, taking note of the wolf’s bloodied knuckles and battered face. Brett looked as if he’d single-handedly taken on the entire force of Beasts himself, and Theo sent a questioning look toward Nolan, who responded with a slight roll of his shoulders. Ever since the crap that had gone down in Washington the month before, when Brett had unknowingly hooked up with a female Beast who’d been plotting against them, the wolf had been playing an increasingly dangerous, risky game with his safety—one that was worrying everyone who cared about him.

“Where’s the kid?” Nolan asked as he turned his attention toward the car, his ice-blue gaze searching the windows. Though they’d gotten off to a rocky start when they’d first met, Nolan had quickly proven invaluable to their unit, and Theo liked the guy’s dry sense of humour. He also admired the human’s wicked fighting skills.

Answering Nolan’s question, he said, “She’s cuddled up in the backseat watching a movie.”

“She isn’t freaking out?” Brett asked, his concern obvious as he eyed the gouges the Beasts’ claws had made in the Honda’s doors. “Looks like the bastards hit you guys pretty hard.”

Theo shoved his hands into his pockets and frowned. “She’s holding together a lot better than I would have expected. But I imagine her nightmares are going to be bad.”

Brett all but vibrated with leftover adrenaline as he finally looked Theo in the eye. Rolling back on his heels, he said, “Well, knowing how you feel about humans and kids, I guess I’ll go introduce myself and let ’em know that Nolan and I will be taking over from here.”

Without any conscious direction from his brain, Theo’s hand shot out and caught hold of the wolf as he started to move past, his fingers digging deep into Brett’s powerful biceps. “Not. So. Fast.” He ground out the words, his throat feeling as if he’d swallowed a mouthful of gravel.

Brett cocked his head a little to the side as he studied his face, and Theo fought to keep his expression neutral. “What’s going on, Theo? I mean, I know Lydia had some weird bug up her ass about you taking the job, but everyone knows you’d rather die than be stuck with a human for longer than it takes to screw them.”

Theo pulled in a deep breath, counted to five, then slowly exhaled. With his ears roaring, he barely heard himself as he said, “This is different,” and let go of Brett’s arm.

The wolf’s eyes went wide with surprise, then narrowed with concern. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Just dandy,” he forced out through his gritted teeth, while Brett looked between him and Liam, his expression confused…until a slow, jackass kind of smile began to curl his mouth. “If you value your life,” Theo growled, knowing Brett was going to say something that would just piss him off, “you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

Brett raised his hands in a teasing sign of surrender, his blue eyes glittering with silent laughter.

Ignoring the younger Pack member, Theo tossed his keys to Nolan. “The kid’s got an ear condition that makes flying impossible right now, so we’ll be driving back. I’m going to get them out of town, but I need you guys to go back to the house and grab my truck for me. We’ll head north, and when I’ve found a motel, I’ll call and let you know where we are. We can meet up again tomorrow morning.”

“Whatever’s going on with you,” Nolan drawled, one brow lifted in a cynical arch as he pocketed the keys, “just remember to stay sharp. I’ve heard you chimeras can go a little light-headed when you get a whiff of something tasty.”

“Go to hell,” Theo muttered, curling his lip.

“Holloway’s right,” Brett snickered. “Don’t let the human catnip go to your head, Theo.”

After shooting the grinning bastard the finger, Theo forced himself to turn and walk away before his temper got the better of him…and he got himself into trouble. As he drew nearer to the car, Liam lifted his face, sending him a shy smile that shot straight to his head, damn near making him dizzy, and he cursed something ugly under his breath, wondering just who in God’s name he was trying to fool.

He was  _ already _ neck-deep in trouble. And he was sinking fast.


	4. Chapter 4

_Prague, Czech Republic_

The air tasted like death. Cold and thick…and lonely.

Walking headlong into the piercing wind blowing in off the Vltava River, Isaac Lahey scowled as the bitter flavour filled his lungs, while his head continued to pound from the mother of all headaches. But then, arguing with the Consortium tended to have that effect on him. Comprising representatives from each of the remaining ancient clans, the Consortium was a sort of supernatural United Nations whose job it was to govern the clans. The only problem was that the pompous bastards wasted so much time bickering amongst themselves, it wasn’t any wonder that it often took years for them to come to any sort of a decision, much less take aggressive action.

And time was something that Isaac and his friends didn’t have.

After the Hale awakenings of Derek, Cora and Laura Hale, the Pack knew more than they had last summer when the first Beast - Kali Westwood - had escaped back to this realm. And thanks to Nolan Holloway, a human who’d stepped in to help during Laura’s awakening, they now knew a lot more, such as the fact that the Beasts were working with a race known as the Dreads. According to Nolan, the Dreads - offspring of Walcott vampires and Beast males before their imprisonment - were a closely guarded secret outside the Walcott clan, their existence hidden not only from the majority of the Consortium, but from the Pack, as well.

Until now.

Slowly but surely, the pieces of this macabre puzzle were finally clicking into place, but there were still too many unanswered questions. Why did Marcel, the Dread who had somehow instigated the Beasts’ return, want the Dark Markers? What use did he have for the ancient weapons if he didn’t intend to use them to kill the Beasts? And what, if any, credence was there to Marcel’s warnings that a time of anarchy was coming to the clans? Yeah, they had some answers. But it was the truths that still lingered in the shadows that worried them most. That had the Pack and the Hales driving themselves into the ground to uncover as many of the Markers as they could before Marcel and the Beasts got their hands on them.

Hunching his shoulders against the wintry midnight chill, Isaac ran over the arguments he’d made to the leaders throughout the long night, explaining why it was so important that the Consortium give its full support to the Hales in their fight against the Beasts, before it was too late. Arguments that had fallen on deaf ears, until his temper had finally gotten the better of him. He’d been told to leave the ancient mansion that was now serving as the Consortium’s temporary headquarters in Prague, the stern directive capped off by a warning to cool down before he returned.

“Miserable old bastards,” he muttered under his breath, scraping his fingers through his hair. “They’ll be begging for our help when the Beasts have worked their way through the Hales and start gunning for them instead.”

The road curved to the right, the street silent and dark ahead of him, but as Isaac neared the famous Charles Bridge, the unsettling sensation that he was no longer alone began to slither across the back of his neck, bringing a soft curse to his lips. Looking over his shoulder, he stared into the shadowed depths of the moonlit street, wondering if the Consortium leaders had sent someone to track him, but no one was there. The curling, serpentine tendrils of fog appeared to be his only companion…until he caught sight of the Dread, or what the human world would have simply called a vampire, moving stealthily through the shadows.

Shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, Isaac turned and stood his ground, an old, familiar hatred coiling through his insides as he waited for Aiden Steiner to reach him. Though he had no direct reason to dislike the vampire, his lip still curled with disgust. After all, he despised the man’s twin brother, Ethan, enough that the wrathful emotion had eventually spread like a disease, until he’d come to loathe the entire bloody race. The prejudice was as unjust as it was juvenile, but Isaac had learned long ago that matters involving headstrong, impetuous males were seldom reasonable…much less logical.

Especially when the male ripped your heart out by shacking up with another man.

As Aiden stepped into a milky stream of moonlight breaking through the clouds, he sent Isaac a crooked, cautious grin, as if he knew his reception was going to be less than civil. Thinking it must have been years now since he and Aiden had exchanged so much as a passing greeting, Isaac couldn’t help but wonder just what in God’s name the vampire wanted with him.

“ _Tei_ ,” Aiden murmured in one of his many fluent languages, only a trace of his Scandinavian accent shaping the husky greeting. Seeing as how Isaac didn’t speak a word of Finnish, Norwegian _or_ Swedish, he had no way of knowing if the vamp had just said hello or called him a jackass…and he didn’t particularly care.

“Steiner,” he grunted in reply. Pulling in a deep breath, he searched for a trace of any other nearby Walcotts, but could find no others. Not that it meant anything. If they chose, a Walcott could mask their unusually distinctive scent, making them impossible to track, even for a shifter.

“How does that saying go?” Aiden murmured from the corner of his mouth as he came closer, his pocketed hands mirroring Isaac’s, though his trousers were black silk, rather than well-worn denim. Despite his size, he moved with the smooth, effortless ease of his race, as if he were merely gliding over the street like a phantom, the moonlight glinting blue off the rich sable strands of his hair. “You know, that one about how looks could kill?”

Isaac arched his right brow. “Aren’t you already dead?” he offered in a bored drawl.

Aiden’s sharp smile flashed with his low rumble of laughter, his fangs just visible beneath the curve of his upper lip. “Aw, you know very well that I’m not dead, wolf. But then, Hollywood rarely gets those types of things right, do they? I mean, look what they did with that movie about the Pack.”

Hardly in the mood for jokes, Isaac cut to the chase. “What the hell do you want from me, Aiden?”

The Walcott moved closer, leaning against one of the historic street signs that lined the sweeping road. Though his pose remained casual, the rigid set of his muscled shoulders hinted at an inner fury, as did the tightness around his eyes. While a Dread’s irises bled to crimson when they released their fangs, a pure-blooded vampire’s were actually a pale, pure gray that would glow silver for several hours after they’d fed.

Instead of answering the question, the vamp simply said, “It wasn’t one of ours who made the kill.”

Steiner didn’t elaborate, but Isaac knew exactly what the man was referring to. Two days ago a Pack member had been found murdered in Russia, his mutilated corpse left in the centre of a small town seventy miles south of Moscow. The fact that his body had been drained of every last drop of blood had started rumours flying among the clans that the kill had been made by a rogue Walcott, but Isaac wasn’t entirely convinced. Something about the killing made him…uneasy. The Pack hadn’t been hunting a rogue vamp, and yet for some reason, Isaac had the oddest feeling that the kill had been deliberate as if the Pack member had been targeted on purpose.

Then again, maybe he was just being paranoid, allowing his imagination to get the better of him, and the guy had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. God only knew he was maxed out to his stress limit these days, which was why he’d kept his suspicions to himself for the time being, instead of sharing them with the others back at home. Between the Beasts and the search for the Markers, they had enough to deal with right now, without adding this to the rest of it. Plus, with the Beasts on the loose, every Pack unit around the world knew to be guarding their backs.

And yet, despite the fact that Isaac obviously had doubts about the kill being a rogue vamp, it didn’t mean he had to admit as much to the cocky-assed vampire standing before him.

“Come on, Steiner. How can you be certain it wasn’t a Walcott kill? You know how easy it is for those of your kind to lose their…perspective.”

The vampire snorted. “That’s pretty rich coming from you, Lahey. Considering rogue wolves gnaw their victims to the bone.”

“And your kind drains them dry,” he countered, his voice going softer as his temper sparked like kindling. “In either case, a life is lost.”

“And we could keep going round and round with this bullshit, but I’m not looking to waste what little’s left of my night on arguments. My first purpose in approaching you was to make it clear to the Pack that we’re not responsible for the killing.”

Wishing like hell that he hadn’t quit smoking—seeing as how he was jonesing for a cigarette so badly he could taste it - Isaac tilted his head a little to the side, his eyes narrowed on the vamp’s handsome face as he tried to get a read on him. Though he hated the Walcotts with a passion, he had to admit that he’d never actually met a vampire who wasn’t beautiful in a cold, deadly way. “Why do you even care what we believe?” he rasped.

“War is coming,” Aiden replied in a low rumble. “We intend to play a part in it.”

“Do you, now?” Isaac murmured, lifting his brows. “I find that hard to buy, considering how the Walcotts have never given a crap about anyone but themselves. What’s your interest in the Hales war?”

“Have you forgotten that four nesting grounds have been massacred by the Collective? Have you ever seen a murdered vampire, wolf?” A low, humourless laugh fell softly from Aiden’s lips. “But of course you have. After all, when the clans refuse to take care of their own business, the Consortium often calls on their pets to take care of the monsters. I’m sure the killing of a Walcott isn’t a memory that would fade, seeing as how it’s such a colourful sight. Now, imagine what it’s like looking out over a blood-covered field that’s littered with the decapitated bodies of innocent women and children.”

Raking one hand back through his hair, Isaac swore softly as the macabre scene took shape within his mind, making his stomach turn. The Collective was an army of human mercenaries who sought to purge the world of every nonhuman species that walked the earth, their tactics as brutal as they were merciless. In an ironic twist, the army had partnered up with the Dreads and the Beasts in exchange for information that would further their ends. As a result, dozens of Walcott families had been slaughtered in their ancestral nesting grounds. Located throughout Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, the grounds were ancient, sprawling castlelike communities where families lived for security, the lands protected by powerful magic that kept them hidden from the world - until their trust was betrayed.

Clearing his throat, Isaac slid the vamp a grim look of regret. “The nesting grounds had slipped my mind.”

“Yeah, well, the locations of those nesting grounds were given to the Collective by Marcel.” The man’s hatred and rage were unmistakable in the huskily spoken words, though his deep voice remained eerily quiet. “You know that as well as I.”

And the Walcotts obviously wanted revenge, he thought, reflecting that this could easily get ugly. Not to mention complicated as hell. “So because of the nesting grounds, you want to join forces with us?”

“We’re not asking to become a part of the party.” The vampire’s dry tone suggested that he knew damn well Isaac would never agree to work with the Walcotts. “But we’re willing to help you learn more about the things you don’t know,” he offered suggestively. “Willing to get you information that you’re going to need.”

Certain there had to be a catch, he asked, “And just what would you want in return?”

“That brings me to my second purpose.” With his hands still buried in his pockets, Aiden straightened away from the street sign and stepped forward, narrowing the space between them to no more than a few feet. “If you find Marcel before we do, we want him.”

“We?” Isaac asked, acutely aware of his beast’s repulsion at having the vamp so near. “You mean the Walcotts?”

Aiden shook his head. “This is a personal matter for my family, considering our positions and the fact that we had cousins who died in the massacre. My brother and I intend to deal with Marcel alone.”

Fury scraped down Isaac’s nerve endings like a blade, and it was a physical effort to keep his fangs from descending. Taking an aggressive step forward, he ignored the wolf’s vicious snarls vibrating inside his skull and got right in Aiden’s face, going nose to nose with him. “You’ve got a lot of balls,” he growled, longing to throw the first punch, “thinking I’d agree to anything that involves Ethan.”

Steiner’s lips twitched with bitter humour. “You’re not the first man who’s accused me of that, but I’m sure as hell not going to show them to you, wolf. And yeah, I think you’ll cooperate. You need this information too badly.”

“I don’t need anything that badly,” Isaac drawled with a mean smile. “And your brother can go screw himself for all I care.”

The vampire’s eyes narrowed, until nothing but a thin slice of gray burned through the dark veil of his lashes. “Regardless of how you feel about Ethan, you know the code. It’s our right to destroy the ones who have turned against us. We intend to keep searching for Marcel, doing everything we can to find him. But we want this deal, in the event that you get to him first.”

For a moment Isaac thought his hatred would actually get the better of him, the wolf punching against his insides, eager to act on the rage that continued to seethe beneath his surface. The only thing that held him back was the vampire’s eyes. The gray was darkening, proof that Aiden hadn’t fed before approaching him. In the world of the Walcotts, that was a sign that he’d come in peace, and not aggression. The vamp would still be capable of giving Isaac a hell of a fight, but he’d purposely constrained his strength as a show of good faith—one that Isaac couldn’t ignore, no matter how badly he wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, he retreated back a step, needing to put a little breathing room between them as he struggled for control. “You know, word on the street has it that the Walcotts treat the Dreads like slaves,” he pointed out with thick sarcasm. “When you look at it like that, you can hardly blame them for revolting.”

“I didn’t say that their lot in life was fair,” Aiden muttered, his rough tone cut with shades of anger and frustration. “But as Förmyndares, my brother and I have a duty to protect the interests of the Northern clans.”

Though he wanted to argue the point, Isaac knew the bastard was right. It was the duty of the Walcott Förmyndares, or Protectors, to destroy any threats to the vampire clans. And considering how much he knew about the Walcotts, Marcel was definitely a threat. “You still haven’t told me what you have to offer,” he muttered before easing back another step, needing to put a little more distance between them if he wanted to keep the wolf from taking over and going for the vamp’s throat. “This information you think I need so badly. What is it?”

“The Markers,” Aiden replied, his pale eyes holding Isaac’s hostile stare. “There are things you don’t know about them. In truth, they’re not all that they seem.”

“Meaning?”

A low, bitter laugh rumbled up from the vampire’s chest, his expression shadowed by something ugly and dark. “Meaning that no good deed in this world goes unpunished, wolf. Or haven’t you learned that by now?”

A scowl pulled Isaac’s features tight. “And just what the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that your precious Dark Markers are far from perfect. The Walcott Elders believe that in order to pour the necessary power into those little bits of metal, the Consortium had to travel into places that you righteous bastards would never think of going. They had to meddle with things that were better left alone.” Taking his right hand from his pocket, Aiden rubbed his fingers against the shadow of bristle that roughened his jaw. “In short,” he rasped, “they had to go begging to the darkness.”

“The darkness,” Isaac echoed, noticing that from where he stood, only half of Aiden’s face was actually illuminated by the moonlight, while the other half remained shrouded in the shadows. Darkness and light. Although duality was a common feature among many of the clans, the trait was especially strong within the Walcotts, whose very natures were a dichotomy. A trait that made them complex friends…and dangerous enemies. “Are you actually going to stand there and tell me that they used dark magic to make the Markers?”

Aiden shrugged, the casual gesture pulling the black silk of his shirt tight across his muscular chest. “It’s all about compromise,” he murmured. “Sometimes if you want something badly enough, you have to lower your morals to get it.”

“They wouldn’t have,” Isaac argued in a low voice, the horrific idea burning its way through his brain like acid.

“Oh, but they would.” Aiden’s mouth twisted into a wry shape that didn’t quite make its way into a smile. “And they did.”

“If you expect me to believe that, then you’re going to have to show me proof, Steiner.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to have your proof soon enough,” the Walcott told him as he stepped back, retreating once more into the thick shadows that blanketed the far side of the street. “Something is coming, wolf. Something that has the Walcott Elders worried, and the whispers are beginning to spread like wildfire. It won’t be pleasant, but I’m willing to get you the answers you need, in exchange for Marcel.”

“What do you mean something’s coming?” he snarled. “The Beasts are already here.”

“Remember the murdered Pack members, Lahey. The Beasts aren’t the only evil that wants a piece of this world. Not by a long shot. And if you want to survive,” Aiden drawled from the murky shadows, the darkness swallowing his form like an eager, hungry mouth, “you just might have to sell a bit of your lily-white soul to make it happen.”


	5. Chapter 5

_ Kentucky, near the Ohio state line _

There were times when “hell on earth” wasn’t simply an expression. Times when a man created his own misery in this world, simply because of the decisions he made. Decisions that led to circumstances that were not only torture, but a painful, living extension of his nightmares.

Isaac had given Theo a book about it once, but then that was Isaac Lahey for you. The unofficial leader of their Pack unit was always trying to help the others through the nasty minefields of their emotional issues, without ever tackling his own. Personally, Theo thought it was an “avoid and deflect” instinct, but Isaac had just told him to fuck off when he’d offered the advice.

The wolf liked to dish it out. He just didn’t like to take it. Still, Theo had read the book and found a certain element of truth to it. For the moment, his own personal hell was being stuck inside a car with a human male who sorely tested his control and an adorable child the monsters wanted to get their claws into. He could have passed her off to Brett and Nolan, removing himself from the situation, but he hadn’t. No, he’d chosen this version of hell, and now he was just going to have to deal with the consequences.

Of course, Lydia was to blame, as well. He’d bloody well known that having a woman for a friend was going to be trouble, and now look at him.

Friendship was something he never offered to other people, for the sole reason that friendship gave them ideas. The kind that could seriously screw with a bachelor’s peace of mind - and ones that a man like Theo had neither the desire nor the intent to ever fulfil. That alone was reason enough to keep his relationships simple and to the point. The point being that he needed others for physical release, but had little use for them beyond sex. While he might leave them humming with pleasure, it was a God-given fact that he always left them.

But it wasn’t just the ones that Theo got hot and sweaty with who could turn into trouble. He was fast discovering that having a simple, platonic relationship with another person created its own set of issues. And when you made that person a human female like Lydia, who happened to possess the ability to talk to ghosts, the problems coalesced into one huge, irritating pain in the ass.

Case in point: his current situation. Theo had never so much as even lip-locked with the pretty little redhead who was set to marry Derek Hale, a man Theo now considered a friend as well as a colleague, and yet here he was, simply because Lydia had called and asked him to find Liam Dunbar. Of course, she’d been backed up by Erica Reyes, her soon-to-be sister-in-law. The bloody women had finagled their way into Raeken’s heart and he’d somehow found himself becoming “friends” with them. It was enough to make a hardcore son of a bitch’s stomach turn.

And Lydia had had no qualms about sending “her buddy Raeken” on her quest.

Frustration rode him hard, and he could feel the same sizzling emotion vibrating off Liam as his car ate up miles of highway. Now that he was driving and he’d had time to sit and think about everything that had happened, he was sure he’d put together a long list of questions for him about her stepsiblings, but they could hardly have that conversation now, while Tori was in the backseat, not quite asleep yet. Needing something to drown out the buzz of lust and restlessness in his brain, he finally reached down and turned on his radio. The latest Kings of Leon began playing from the CD player, and he smiled. “At least you have better taste in music than you do in cars,” he drawled.

As he looked toward him in the shadowed interior, Theo could feel the heat from his gaze touching quietly upon the sharp angles of his profile. It swept across the high slash of his right cheekbone, skimming down the surprisingly straight line of his nose - considering how many times it’d been broken - until it settled warmly against the corner of his mouth. His beast reacted to the visual caress with an impatient stretch, as if to remind him of its hungers. Not that he was in any danger of forgetting them.

“There’s nothing wrong with my car,” he finally replied, the slight huskiness of his words settling like a ball of fire in the pit of his stomach, the heat spreading out to his extremities, burning beneath his skin. Even his goddamn fingers and toes were prickling.

Forcing himself to focus on his words, and not the million and one other things he wanted to be doing to him at that moment, Theo bit down hard on the inside of his cheek until the pain helped him calm down a little. “Yeah?” he managed to snort after a moment. “Doesn’t seem to be much right with it, either.”

“Did I momentarily space out and miss something? Because I don’t recall asking for your opinion on the subject.”

He whistled softly under his breath before flashing him a cocky smile. “You’re quite the puzzle, aren’t you?”

He appeared baffled by the question. “Is that supposed to make sense to me?”

He shrugged, flicking the windshield wipers on low as an easy rain began beading against the glass. “Just that you’re not easy to peg. To figure out. I mean, you’ve gone from being scared to death of me tonight to mouthing off like a little hellion. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying it. It’s somehow oddly refreshing.”

“Glad to be so entertaining.” His tone was dry, his posture tense as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Well, you’ll fit in great back at the Preserve. Lydia and Erica are gonna love you. Hell, they’ll probably even ask you to join their little human brigade.”

“And who are Lydia and Erica?” The sudden, unmistakable edge to his words had him smiling again. “Your girlfriends?”

Theo gave another low whistle, strangely enjoying their easy banter. “You think I’ve got two women living under the same roof? Impressive.”

“I can’t say that it would surprise me,” he murmured, shaking his head.

“Ya know, I think that’s the nicest compliment anyone’s ever given me,” he drawled, parroting his earlier words when he’d complimented her driving. “But they’re not my women. They’re engaged to the Hale siblings.”

“The Hale siblings?”

“Derek Hale was the first Hale to awaken, followed by his sister, Laura, and then his other sister, Cora. Lydia is set to marry Derek any day now. They were supposed to get married last month but had to postpone when things started getting crazy. Erica is engaged to Cora, but I don’t know that they’ve settled on a date yet. And the last I heard, Laura is marrying Parrish, one of the other Pack members in my unit, on New Year’s Day, though he keeps claiming that he’s gonna drag her off to Vegas before then because he doesn’t want to wait that long.”

“Wow. It, um, sounds like there’s going to be quite a few weddings taking place around there.” Hooking his hair behind his ear, he looked away and stared silently out the passenger’s side window, making him wonder where he’d wandered off to in his head. The Kings of Leon’s lead singer had just finished belting out another husky chorus about lust and loneliness when he turned back toward him and spoke in a soft rush, as if he was in a hurry to get the words out. “So how did you end up getting stuck with the job?”

“The job?”

“Protecting me and Tori.”

_ Well, hell. _ Theo ran his tongue over his teeth, fighting the urge to fidget like a guilty kid. “What makes you think I didn’t volunteer for it?”

He didn’t answer right away, as if he was giving some careful thought to his response. The next song had already wound to a soulful conclusion, the tires eating up another long stretch of country road, before he finally said, “You just seem like the last man someone would send to look after a schoolteacher and a child.”

Scowling, he lifted one tattooed hand to his long hair. “Well, I can’t do anything about the tatts,” he muttered. “But I’ll be sure to get a haircut so you think I look respectable enough to be seen with you.”

“I don’t - I mean, what’s wrong with your hair?” he asked, sounding confused.

Shaking his head, Theo wondered when he’d become so weak, allowing his freaking feelings to be hurt by his comment. “Look, you’re the one who just suggested I didn’t look the par—”

“I meant your attitude,” he interrupted, cutting him off as he gestured toward him with a fluttering of his fingers. “It hasn’t really seemed as if you wanted the assignment or job or whatever we are. In fact, I think your friends expected you to pass us over to them. Is it that you don’t like kids, or humans? Or a combination of both?”

Huh, so he’d picked up on that while watching his exchange with Brett. The man was obviously observant for a human, which meant he was going to have to be damn careful around him. He didn’t want him getting inside his head. He just wanted to get him to Colorado, where he and Tori would be safe, while somehow managing to keep the animal half of his nature from completely screwing up his life.

“Well?” he asked, prompting him for a response.

Theo kept his attention focused on the long, moonlit stretch of highway. “I like kids just fine.”

“But…not humans? Is that it?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, knowing damn well that he sounded like a prick. “That’s pretty much it.”

A soft, wry sound that didn’t quite make its way into a laugh fell from his lips. “Um, ouch.”

His face felt tight, his mouth dry. “It’s nothing personal, Li.”

“Oh, no. Not at all.” Flexing his hands around the wheel, Theo figured he’d have to be deaf to miss the sarcasm behind those simple words. “Will you at least tell me why?”

He worked his jaw, managing to scrape out a gruff refusal. “The why isn’t important, so just drop it.”

He nodded, as if that was the response he’d been expecting. “So, uh, whose brilliant idea was it to send you after us, then?”

“Brett and I have been in Kentucky searching for the Marker that Tori’s wearing. Nolan joined up with us two days ago. Since we were closest, it made sense that we come after you.” Theo kept to himself the part about Lydia insisting that he be the one to personally watch over them, unsure why the little psychic had done it.

“And Lydia was the one who told you about us?” he asked, rubbing his palms along the tops of his thighs.

“That’s right.”

“You mentioned that Lydia was…contacted.” He cast a quick look into the backseat, then shifted his gaze back to his face. “Since Tori’s asleep now, I’d like you to explain what that means.”

Lifting his left hand, Theo rubbed at the tight knots in the back of his neck that seemed to be growing more painful by the minute. “Lydia’s human, but she has certain…powers,” he explained. “I’m not real clear on all the details, but when she sleeps, ghosts are sometimes able to communicate with her.”

His breath sucked in on a sharp, shaky gasp, and he turned his face to the side, staring out the window again. Softly he said, “So Allison made contact with her? Did she tell her where Josh is?”

“Yeah, Allison contacted her,” he rasped, uncomfortable with the topic, wishing he knew how to handle this kind of crap. A certain level of compassion would probably have helped, but that just wasn’t him. He’d spent so many years honing his cynical, smart-ass attitude, he’d forgotten how to be…easy. If he’d ever even known in the first place. “But she, uh, wasn’t able to tell her where Josh is. All we know is that he’s been taken.”

“And Allison told Lydia that the Beasts were coming for me and Tori?”

Theo nodded, saying, “After seeing how ruthless those bastards can be when they go after a target, we knew we didn’t have any time to lose. So we headed to Lennox and tracked you down as quickly as we could.”

He took a deep breath, obviously working to take it all in. “You make it sound as if there have been a lot of Hale losses already. Is it really that bad out there?”

“It’s gone from bad to worse,” he admitted in a hard voice, “and things are moving faster every day. Cora Hale, who’s an anthropologist, managed to get possession of some encrypted maps that give the locations of the Markers, and has been able to decode a few of them. We’ve already got four of the pikes in our possession, but there are still too many that need to be found before the Beasts, along with their Dread buddies, get hold of them.”

He turned toward him, his gaze settling back on his profile, making him burn. “What’s a Dread?”

“The Dreads are a species that’s half Beast, half vampire, but who can pass damn easily for a human. There’s one named Marcel who seems to be orchestrating this whole thing, pulling the strings from this side of Eichen, which is what they call the Beast holding ground where the shades are imprisoned.”

“Shades?”

“Because of their immortality,” he explained, “the Beasts can’t die in Eichen. They’ve simply wasted away to ‘shades’ of the creatures they once were, which is why they’re forced to take human hosts when they return to this world. We think Marcel has partnered up with a Beast shade named Douglas, but we don’t know much about him. What we do know is that the Dreads are a nasty piece of work, and seeing as how they have the backing of the Collective, as well—”

“They what?” he gasped, cutting him off. “The Collective? But I thought the Collective was some kind of army of humans who tracked down clan members and executed them.”

“It is,” he told him, flicking the wipers onto high as the rain began to come down in a hard, steady pour. “But the human soldiers are working with Marcel, which means they’re working with the Beasts, as well.”

Twisting toward him in his seat, he pulled his left leg beneath him and shook his head. “Okay, you’re going to have to explain that one.”

Theo could understand his disbelief. Hell, he hadn’t believed it himself when he’d first been told. “From what I understand, it all started because the Collective found the ancient archives - documents that apparently hold endless amounts of information about the clans. They were lost not long after the Beasts were imprisoned and the Collective Army began hunting down the clans.”

“How did they find them?” he asked. “And where?”

Frustration coiled through his body, cranking his tension. “We have no idea, but from what we’ve been told, Marcel found out that the Collective had discovered the archives, so he went to the Army Generals, offering them a trade. In exchange for allowing him access to the archives, their bank accounts and even their men, he offered them the one thing they apparently couldn’t resist - the location of every ancient clan that remains in existence.”

“Oh, my God,” he whispered. “Could he actually do that?”

Theo blew out a rough breath, hating that he was afraid. And hating that he hated it, because it meant that he gave a crap, when he knew he shouldn’t. “I hope to hell not,” he muttered. “But he already gave the bastards four vampire nesting grounds. The Collective caught the Walcotts completely off guard, and from what I understand, it was a complete slaughter.”

He shuddered, wrapping his arms around his middle. “Have you ever fought against the Collective?”

Nodding again, he decided not to tell him exactly how many of the human soldiers he had taken down over the years. Instead, he simply said, “We may need orders to take down a clansman, as far as the Consortium is concerned, but the Collective are free game.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

“It can be. But they haven’t given us much trouble since Laura’s awakening last month. Idiots are probably wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into, teaming up with those psychopaths.”

Quietly he said, “And so their greed will be their downfall.”

“Who said that?” Theo asked, thinking the words sounded vaguely familiar.

He gave a soft laugh. “To be honest, I have no idea. The words just came to me.”

“Well, whoever it was, it about sums things up. By making the deal with Marcel, the Collective Generals have created a hell of a mess for themselves. Now it’s the Hale and the Pack against the Beasts, Collective and Dreads, with all of us in a race to get our hands on the Markers before the other side.”

“Why do they want them?” he asked, resting the side of his face against the back of the seat.

“We wish like hell that we knew. But some of us have started to suspect it has something to do with bringing the flood. We just don’t know how.”

“The flood?”

“When all the Beasts escape at once.”

“God. That would be…” His voice trailed off, and he knew he was trying to think of a word that would do the horrific idea justice.

“Yeah.” Lifting his hand, Theo scraped his palm against the hard edge of his jaw. “That’s why we’re doing everything we can to keep it from happening. Isaac Lahey, Brett’s older brother, is in Prague right now, addressing the Consortium. You know who they are?”

“I know a little. Allison and Josh told me about them.”

Theo was about to explain the purpose of Isaac’s visit when he caught the flickering glow of a neon sign through the driving sheets of rain. After being in the car with him for so long, he was covered in Liam’s scent, the drugging cologne seeping into his pores, filling his head - and driving his goddamn beast to the edge. If he didn’t get out and give himself some breathing room, the thing was going to shatter his control. And then there’d be hell to pay.

Reaching down, he turned off the music, then jerked his chin toward the sign. “That looks like a good-size motel up there. We should probably go ahead and stop.”

“Will it be safe?” he asked, leaning forward to peer through the windshield, as if to see if any monsters were lurking out there in the dark.

“As safe as anything else we’ll come across.”

After heading around to the back of the building, Theo parked and turned off the engine, his tension cranking even higher now that they’d stopped for the night. If he hadn’t been such a bastard, he knew he would have told him that he’d wait outside until Brett and Nolan arrived, then do the right thing for everyone involved and step aside. Every second he spent in his presence was tempting fate. Tempting him to make a costly mistake. It didn’t matter that he should keep his distance. Didn’t matter that he was human and he didn’t trust him.

No, the only thing that mattered, other than keeping him and the kid alive, was getting him under him—which meant that he was just going to have to suck it up and throw together a game plan. He was good at working through shitty situations. He’d had to be, or he wouldn’t still be around.

_ And it could be worse _ , he thought.  _ He could be freaking out. Screaming and crying and blaming you for the mess that his life is in. _

Yeah, when he looked at it that way, he’d gotten off lucky, all things considered. Thanks to his stepsiblings, he understood enough about the clans to save them all a lot of arguing and headaches.

And who knew? Maybe he was getting worked up over nothing. After all, what were the chances that he was going to be anywhere near as tempting as his imagination believed he would be?

_ So stop getting so jacked up. After you bed him, you can forget about him. Just like you’ve done with all the others. _

As far as game plans went, it wasn’t much, but Theo was willing to give it a go. He’d screw him a few times, making sure the itch was scratched to the point that it bled clean, and God willing, once he did, he’d find out that Liam Dunbar was the same as every other person he’d ever had. Then he’d be able to leave him behind, and get on with his life, searching for the next Marker…and then the next.

The plan should have brought him a measure of peace, but it didn’t. Instead, Theo’s gut twisted tighter, and he swore something foul under his breath. Christ, when had he become such a bloody head case?

“You okay?”

Jarred out of his thoughts by his question, Theo caught himself staring at his mouth. He could feel his embarrassment, thick and hot in the air, but he couldn’t seem to look away, fascinated by the sensual shape, the impossible softness. Not for the first time that night, he found himself wondering if he’d actually kissed him back when he’d taken him to the ground back at the house. Or if he’d just imagined it. And if he had, why?

Frustrated at himself for mulling over it like an old woman, he forced out a gritty admission. “I don’t want to leave you out here unprotected.”

He glanced around the quiet parking lot. “Do you really think it’s dangerous?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “The odds are unlikely that they could track us this quickly, especially with all the rain that was coming down, but I also don’t see the point in taking unnecessary risks.”

He nodded, already undoing her seat belt. “Then we’ll go in with you.”

“That was the plan,” he murmured, already unfolding his long body from behind the wheel. Theo opened the back door and reached inside for Tori, who was slowly waking up. When he unbuckled her from her car seat and lifted her into his arms, she cuddled against his chest as if it was the safest place in the world for her to be. Looking half-asleep, she gave him a shy smile and ran her pudgy fingers along his arm.

“Pretty,” she whispered, touching her little fingers to his tattooed forearm.

Blinking, Theo choked back a gruff burst of laughter. God only knew he’d been called a lot of things in life, but pretty wasn’t one of them. He slid a laughing look toward Liam, and found him watching them with a strange smile on his face. “You’re going to have your hands full with this one when she hits sixteen. She’s already a charmer.”

“Don’t I know it,” he groaned, giving a soft shake of his head that sent the dark strands brushing against his cheeks.

Thinking of Liam raising Tori alone and without help, he suddenly found an uneasy frown working its way into his expression. “She’ll need a big, mean-looking daddy to beat off all the boys.”

“I’ll beat them off. With a shovel, if I have to.”

Theo lifted his brows at the forcefulness of his tone. “It’s a huge responsibility you’ve taken on, raising her by yourself.”

He reached up and ran her hand down Tori’s back, his own expression one of fierce determination. “We’ll manage.”

“Well,” he rasped, “the good thing is that you don’t have to manage on your own anymore.”

He sent him a startled, questioning look that made something in his chest go tight. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve got friends now, Li.”

For a moment all he did was stare back at him, his eyes wide…wary. He looked somehow afraid to believe him, and equally afraid not to. “Do I really?” he asked, the soft, whispered words nearly silent beneath the gentle rasp of the wind.

“Yeah,” he muttered, knowing there was no way out of this. He was just going to keep sinking deeper, but man, there had to be worse ways to go. Right?

“You’ve got friends who can be ruthless as hell when they need to be,” he told him, holding his gaze. “So stop worrying so much, because we’re not about to let anything happen to either one of you.”


	6. Chapter 6

Liam had meant to tell Theo he wouldn’t need all their luggage, but by the time he’d recovered from hearing those low words on the Pack member’s lips, he’d already paid for a suite, tucked Tori up in the room’s king-size bed and headed back out the door. Tori was snuggled into her pillow, half-asleep, so Liam found the bathroom and quickly splashed some water on his face, while silently lecturing himself for being such an emotional sap. God, the guy told him he wasn’t alone anymore and he almost bawled like a baby.

But there was no denying how good it had felt to hear those words. Even from a man who’d already admitted he didn’t like his…kind. It probably made him fifty different kinds of pathetic, but he was honestly too tired to care.

When he came back a few minutes later, he walked into the small blue-and-cream living room…and could only blink at the fact that he was carrying all of Tori’s and his luggage at once. The bags must have weighed four hundred pounds combined, and the muscles in his arms were bulging against the seams of his T-shirt, yet he hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“What the hell do you have in here?” he grunted as he tossed the heaviest bag onto the striped sofa.

“Um, my books are in that one.”

Surprise shone in his eyes. “Christ, how many books do you need?”

“Don’t you like to read?” he asked defensively.

“Well, yeah.” He arched one tawny brow, adding, “But I don’t usually feel the need to travel with an entire library.”

Aware of the warmth burning in his cheeks, Liam knew he should have shown a little more restraint when packing, but damn it, he loved his books. It no doubt seemed crazy to someone like Theo, but he’d been leaving everything else behind. His furniture. His job. His life. At least his books had been something he could take with him. “You don’t have to make a big deal out of it, Theo. All I did was put in a few favourites.”

“A few favourites?” he repeated with a low bark of laughter. “Okay, this I gotta see.”

Realising he was going to look inside, Liam screeched, lunging for the suitcase. Theo was too fast, though, and as he lifted the top section, his low whistle blended with his groan. “Li,” he said with a wicked, lopsided grin curling the edges of his mouth, “I’m shocked.”

“Yeah, right,” he muttered.

He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, clearly enjoying himself, his hazel gaze teasing and bright. “What would the other teachers say?”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Oh, honestly. There’s no crime in reading erotica, Theo. So stop making such a big deal out of it. I wouldn’t have expected you to be such a prude.”

“But books like these?” he teased, waving one of the trade paperbacks in the air.

He shrugged, smoothing his hands down the front of his sweater, doing his best to school his features into an expression of cool, manly confidence. Rolling one shoulder, he said, “What can I say? Men have needs, too, you know.”

He gave him one of those fallen-angel kind of smiles. One that was slow and smooth and dangerously suggestive. Then he winked at him. “Just for the record, if you ever need help with those needs, you just give me the word.”

“That wasn’t a come-on,” he said primly, the heat in his face flaming hotter. “And I don’t happen to need a man’s help.”

From one instant to the next, his eyes shot from playful hazel to deep, golden amber, the glow burning brighter…hotter, as if someone had cranked up the gas. “You like to go it alone, then? Wow. Kinky.”

Liam gritted his teeth. “No…I just…what I mean is, I don’t need-” He broke off with a sharp sound of frustration, knowing that anything he might say was only going to make it worse.

His voice turned deeper…huskier. “Not that the idea of you getting yourself off doesn’t do it for me. Because it does. But you know, Li, there are some things that are just better when you let someone else lend a hand.”

It took a moment before he could think of a suitable response, the provocative words dazing him, as if he’d just been dealt a sensual jolt of pleasure. They hit him low in the abdomen, where he felt hot and empty, a heaviness there that felt like a gnawing, aching need. Finally he wet his lips and managed to say, “I realise this might come as a painful shock to you, Theo, but I disagree. Actually, to be perfectly honest, I think the whole sex thing is a little overrated.”

He winced, pulling his hand down his face. “Now, that’s just not fair,” he muttered, his rough voice sounding somehow pained.

“Fair?”

“Comments like that are the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull. Just makes a guy want to charge in and prove how good the ol’ sex thing can really be, when it’s done right.”

Ignoring the loaded remark, Liam opted to steer the conversation back into safer territory. “So do you like to read?” he asked, following him as he picked up two of the suitcases and carried them into the bedroom.

He sent him a look over his shoulder that said he would let him get away with avoiding the sex topic for now - but not forever - and said, “Yeah. I’m a big Rowling fan, as well as Koontz and King.” Setting the bags on the upholstered bench at the foot of the bed, he turned to face him, his thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his jeans. “But I like to play, as well.”

He arched a brow in perfect imitation of his own. “Play what?”

“Piano.”

“Are you serious?” he said with a quiet laugh.

He smiled a little, as if to say he knew how hard it was for him to reconcile the idea of a guy like him being cultured enough to play the piano, and guilt had him lowering his gaze, his face prickling with shame. He took a deep breath, knowing he should apologise, but when he lifted his gaze again, his mind stuttered to a jarring stop. Theo was pulling off his T-shirt, his muscular arms raised in the air, his biceps bulging as he shamelessly revealed his enticing abs, followed by the smooth, sculpted planes of his chest. Liam’s jaw dropped, while drool collected in the corners of his mouth. He might have even whimpered a little, but hoped the hungry sound had been only in his head. Working for his voice, he somehow managed to ask, “What are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed.” He tossed the T-shirt over the back of a chair, then reached for the top button on his jeans.

“Whoa,” he breathed out, holding up his hands. “Stop right there, buddy. You are not sleeping in here.”

His eyes smouldered under the heavy weight of his lashes. “Why not? You got a snoring problem you don’t want me to know about?”

“No,” he practically growled. “I do not have a snoring problem. I just-”

Before he could finish, Tori rolled over in the bed. Sounding half-asleep, his niece said, “Li never snores, but he talks in his sleep. Real loud.”

“Is that right?” Theo asked with a husky, impossibly sexy burst of laughter, his long fingers scratching lazily at his chest.

Liam sighed, then pushed his hair back from his face. “Tori, baby, you need to go back to sleep. Okay?”

“Okay,” Tori said around a wide yawn, while Liam walked to the far side of the bed, leaned down and kissed her cheek, making sure the blankets were tucked in around her body. “Can I have a story?” Tori asked. “The one you tell about the princess and the dragons?”

“Of course you can, sweetheart.” With his back to Theo, he sat on the edge of the mattress, his tension easing as he smoothed Tori’s soft curls back from her forehead. “Once upon a time,” he said, “there was a…”

***

While Liam wove a magical tale of fire-breathing dragons and a princess named Tori, Theo went into the living room and called Nolan over his unit’s secure line, letting him know where they’d stopped for the night. He wanted to grill the guy about Brett, wondering just how reckless the wolf had been during their earlier fight with the Beasts, but knew Brett would be in the truck with Nolan…and able to hear anything he said over the phone. Better to wait until he could get the human alone.

When he was finished with the call, Theo walked back into the bedroom just as Li was moving to his feet. He leaned his shoulder against the wall and watched him, taking a moment to simply enjoy the way he gazed down at the little girl with such love. When he shifted his gaze toward him, he was careful to keep his voice soft as he said, “I’ll pull the sofa in here and sleep on that, so you and Tori can have the bed. But I’m not sleeping in the other room. We need to bunk down together for safety. It’s stupid to take unnecessary chances, especially when I don’t have any of Brett’s gadgets on me.”

“Gadgets?”

“His custom-made security alarms,” he explained. “Guy’s some kind of techno genius when it comes to that stuff.” He nodded, busying himself with one of the bags he’d brought in earlier. Theo could scent his tension in the air, the subtle vibration melting into his body, almost as if he was a predator on the hunt…and it felt good. “So I was wondering if there was a reason you didn’t want to sleep in the same room as me. I mean, other than the fact that I obviously make you uncomfortable.”

Instead of denying it, he pulled his lower lip through his teeth and slanted him a curious look. “Like what?” he asked.

“Someone who’s gonna take exception to you being here with me?”

His gaze slid away and he gave a quiet, nervous kind of laugh. “Uh, that would be no.”

“What about Tori’s dad? Won’t he be looking for her?”

He shook his head. “He left before Tori was born. She wouldn’t talk about it. The one time she was actually drunk enough to mention his name, she told me that he freaked out when he found out about Tori, begged her to leave with him, but she refused. Apparently he said he had to leave for their protection.” He sighed, looking troubled. “He never came back, and Allison never really recovered.”

He looked thoughtful, and then his expression changed, his gaze sharp. “And you’re serious about no partner?”

“Yes.”

Staring at his profile, Theo searched for any signs of deceit. When he glanced at him again and caught the way he was looking at him, a warm blush covered his cheeks. “What is it?”

He blew out a rough breath. “I just find that really hard to believe, Li”

“What?” He ran his hands up and down his biceps, as if he was cold. “That I don’t have a partner?”

“Yeah.”

He shrugged, turning back to the suitcase. “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s the truth. I ended my last relationship over a year ago.”

Without meaning to, Theo heard himself ask, “What happened?”

Another soft laugh fell from his lips, but this one had a brittle edge to it. “Let’s just say that he wasn’t the man I thought he was.”

Theo wanted to press him for details, but held back, not knowing what to make of the unfamiliar burn in his chest. It had flared at the thought of her with this unnamed male, as if the idea of him being with another man actually mattered to him. Shaking his head at the bizarre, completely unfamiliar concept, he watched as he sent a longing glance toward the bottles of shampoo and conditioner he’d set on the dresser. “Go on and take your shower,” he murmured. “I’ll watch over Tori.”

He stared down at his niece, clearly undecided.

“Li, look at me.” He waited until he’d shifted that smoky gaze back to his face, then said, “I’d rather die than hurt a kid. And I’m sure as hell not going to let anything happen to this one. If you’re going to make it through this, you’ve got to start trusting me.”

“I know that,” he whispered.

“So go on, then. I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”

He pulled out some clothes, then grabbed his toiletries. When he reached the doorway he braced one hand against the doorjamb and glanced over his shoulder. “Thank you, Theo. For everything. I promise I’ll figure out a way to repay you for all of this someday.”

“Not necessary. And if you need any help in there scrubbing your back,” he drawled, giving him another wink, “just let me know.”

***

Shaking his head at his outrageousness, Liam shut the bathroom door behind him. He showered quickly, and within ten minutes he was dressed in his favourite ratty pair of navy sweats and a gray tank top, his towel-dried hair hanging loose around his freshly scrubbed face. He was ready to race for the covers, but the instant he opened the door, he found Theo sitting on the sofa that he’d pulled into the room, thumbing through a dog-eared copy of one of his favourite erotic romances.

“What are you doing?” he gasped, while Tori snored softly from the bed, obviously out for the count.

Without taking his eyes off the page, he said, “I was curious about what you like.”

“What I like?” he gaped.

The low rasp of his voice stroked his skin like a sensuous touch as he quietly said, “You know. Sexually.”

_ Something isn’t right here _ , he thought, only too aware of the differences between them. Men like Theo Raeken never even looked twice at men like him, and they certainly didn’t admit to being “curious” about their sexual fantasies. Liam had always been too plain for that. His older stepsister, Allison, had been the jaw-dropper in the family. Tall and perfectly proportioned. Then there’d been his younger stepbrother, Josh, who was so strong and tall and ethereal. From the time of his father’s marriage to Allison and Josh’s mother, Liam had always just…been there. Stuck in the middle. Average. He supposed his hair and eyes could be considered assets, but had always felt as if they were kind of wasted on the rest of him.

And the rest didn’t add up to much.

Still, he had his pride, and he wasn’t going to just stand there and let a man like Theo poke fun at him, pretending he was actually interested in what got him off. Tears pricked his eyes, his throat burning with a sudden rush of anger. “I get that you don’t care for humans, Theo, but that’s no reason to be mean.”

When he slid his gaze up from the pages of the book, the smouldering look in his glowing amber eyes made him shiver. “Mean?”

“You’re making fun of me,” he accused, fisting his hands at his sides.

“And you’re making assumptions, Li. I was serious about what I said.” He shrugged one shoulder, looking almost embarrassed. “I just want to understand you better.”

Liam blinked, feeling as if he was suddenly speaking a language he didn’t understand. “Is this…some kind of joke?”

Setting the book aside, he rolled up off the sofa with an animalistic power and grace that made his heart race…his chest burn. Muscles coiled and flexed as he stalked toward him, bunching and stretching beneath all that tight golden skin. “You really think I’m making fun of you?”

He nodded, his mouth watering as he watched him move. Feeling the need for retreat, he took a step back, and then another, until he had walked himself right back into the bathroom.

And Theo just kept coming closer.

“Why do you think I kissed you tonight?” he asked in a husky rasp.

Shaking his head a little, Liam struggled to concentrate past the deep, rhythmic pulse of desire that was arcing through his body, prickling beneath his skin. “I…I don’t know. But it wasn’t because you wanted to have sex with me.”

“Is that right?” He snorted, then muttered, “You know, in some twisted way, this is pretty funny.”

“What’s so funny about it?”

“It’s funny,” he said in another low, delicious rumble, “because I’ve wanted to fuck you since the second I set eyes on you.”

His heart tried to lodge its way into his throat, not only from the shocking claim he’d just made, but from the way he suddenly moved farther into his space, closing in on him with his heat and the tantalising scent of his body. And God, did it smell good. Warm and musky and male, like something wild and earthy that could be found only in the hidden depths of a dense, dark jungle. Something primal and raw and a little terrifying, it was so damn delicious. “What are you doing?” he gasped, flattening herself against the wall.

“Making the first of what is no doubt going to be a long list of mistakes where you’re concerned.” The hard, sensual look on his face was the most erotic thing Liam had ever seen.

He wished he had the nerve to follow through on the 1,001 fantasies burning through his brain, but all he could manage to choke out was a soft, trembling, “Then be smart and don’t do it.”

Bracing his hands against the wall, the Pack member caged him in, his rich, provocative scent hitting him full force now. It filled his head. Covered his body like a second skin, enveloping him in a sensual cloud as it mixed with the warm steam that still lingered from his shower. “Trust me,” he rasped. “I would if I could, Li. But I can’t.”

He had the strangest urge to laugh and cry at the same time as he stared up into his hypnotic eyes, mesmerised by the swirling, discordant streams of emotion burning inside him. Anger. Hunger. Arrogance. And what he could have sworn was fear. “You really are such a strange man,” he whispered, wondering how he could affect him so strongly when he’d known him for nothing more than a handful of hours.

His beautiful mouth twisted into a lopsided smile as he tucked a damp strand of hair behind his ear. “Believe it or not, I get that a lot.”

“I believe it.”

“You scared now, Li?” His voice was soft, seductive, his touch dangerously tender as he trailed one fingertip along the side of his face, painting his skin with his heat. 

For some reason, Liam felt as if he was testing him, but he didn’t understand what he was after. And he definitely didn’t understand the man. “I’m not afraid of you, Theo.”

He lowered his hand, pressing his large palm against the center of his chest, his skin fever-warm through the thin cotton of his tank top. “Your heart’s beating a mile a minute.”

He licked his lower lip, acutely aware of his body thrumming with need, his nipples gathering into hard, tight knots that pressed thickly against his shirt. “You’re playing with me. I get that. I just don’t know what you expect to get out of it.”

Theo leaned close, enjoying the way his pulse leaped and his eyes went dark. So dark he could see his own intense expression staring back at him in the luminous pools of blue. “Maybe I just want another taste of you,” he told him, lowering his head until he could press his mouth against the side of his throat. His skin was warm and soft, a fragile barrier to the succulent heat that flowed beneath the surface. He pressed his tongue to the seductive rush of his pulse, his body burning at the sexy little catch in his breath. “Ever think of that?” he asked, pulling back just enough that he could gauge his expression.

A small V settled between his brows. “But you don’t even like humans.”

“True,” he admitted with a rough laugh. “But I seem to be liking you just fine. And if you don’t believe me, then take a look for yourself.” He gestured toward his lower body with a jerk of his chin.

Instead of doing as he said, he squeezed his eyes shut.

He whispered, “Go on, Li. Look. I dare ya.”

Trembling, he opened his eyes, glanced down and gave a hoarse, quiet cry of hunger that just made his dick even harder, the brutal ache pounding through his entire body. “Tori’s asleep.” He ground the words out past his tight jaw. “We could shut the bathroom door.”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, a soft tremor shivering through his limbs, the scent of his need so thick in the air he had to mentally claw onto his beast, holding it back from him. “As tempting as that sounds, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”

Theo didn’t say anything. He just fought for control as he put his face close to his and stared, waiting for him to look at him again.

It took awhile, but he finally tore his gaze away from his erection and lifted it back to his face. “You seem…surprised,” he said with a shaky, nervous kind of laugh.

His chest rose with each hard, slow breath as he studied him from beneath his lashes. “To be honest-” his mouth tilted in another crooked grin “-I’m not used to being turned down.”

“Especially by guys who look like me, huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he grunted, not liking the insinuation in his tone.

“Come on,” he said dryly, rolling his eyes. “I’m a plateful of leftovers compared to what must be the ‘usual’ for a guy like you.”

Theo stared, not knowing what to make of him. He’d never heard a human speak of themselves in such a way. The ones he’d known, for the most part, had been vain creatures, obsessed with their looks and their ability to seduce. But here was this one, trying to tell him that he was…What? Plain? Something to be passed over? When he knew damn well that he was gorgeous—sexy and sweet and muscular in all the right places, and that was just on the outside. Inside, well, he might have been a relative stranger to him, but he’d already learned so many things about his character. He was obviously brave, as well as compassionate and caring. Not to mention fiercely loyal to those he loved.

He was, in short, completely fascinating.

It didn’t matter that he was human. That he was under his protection. Theo still wanted to lay him down for hours…days, and show him in explicit, intimate detail all the things that he liked about him. He liked his blushes. Liked the way his breath quickened when he said something he considered wicked. It was driving him mad, thinking of the things he could say…the things he could do, that would set that pretty skin of his on fire. He liked the idea of commanding him to keep his eyes on him, steady and wide, while he bobbed his head up and down on his cock. Liked the idea of him twitching against his tongue…

_ Want him _ , that familiar guttural voice snarled inside his mind.  _ Need him Now. _

God, this was bad. When he’d showered, he’d damn near hurt himself imagining what he looked like with water dripping down his skin. When he stared at him with his big blue eyes, he had to grit his teeth to keep from coming. And then, when he tried to get things going, he turned him down, making the animal inside him seethe with frustration.

“Face it, Theo. You…well, you’re way out of my league. I’m pretty average, and I’m fine with that. Honestly. I don’t feel the need to reach beyond, and I’m also fully aware of what kinds of people you do go for.”

Raising his brows, he pressed even closer, liking the way he pulled that full lower lip through his teeth when he nudged his jeans-covered cock against his, the colour in his cheeks turning darker. “And exactly what kind would that be?” he asked, enjoying the way he had to struggle to concentrate, his gaze hazy with lust. Enjoyed even more that he didn’t pull back, trying to undo the intimate press of their bodies.

“Um, well, easy ones, for a start.” He coughed, sounding as if he’d swallowed something scratchy. “And I suspect you also enjoy a fairly wide variety.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at his assessment, even though he had pretty much nailed it. “That’s an awfully judgmental view,” he murmured.

“But a true one, I bet. Men like you are easy to peg.”

“You’ve never known a man like me.” To prove his point, he gave him a cocky smile, flashing the pointed tips of his fangs. Then he slowly shook his head. “But my timing probably isn’t all that great tonight,” he admitted wryly, rubbing the backs of his knuckles against the downy softness of his cheek. “So I’ll ease off. For now.”

Before Liam could respond, he took a deep breath and pulled away from him. The soft glow of the bathroom light made his skin gleam like satin, drawing his eyes to the wide, muscled expanse of his shoulders and chest, his body unlike anything he’d ever seen. Perfect and hard and ruggedly sculpted, the occasional scar somehow only heightening his dangerous beauty, while reminding him that this was a male warrior who lived in a world completely different from his own. “If I were to ask what kind of shifter you are,” he whispered, “would you tell me?”

He pushed his hands into his front pockets, his powerful muscles rippling with the movement. “Sure I would.”

“Well?” he asked, his chest tight as he held him with the dark intensity of his stare.

“I’m the scary kind, Li.”

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

He gave a low, rusty laugh. “Pretty much.”

“You’re going to drive me insane, Theo.”

“Then we’ll get along great with each other,” he drawled around a wide yawn as he took one hand from his pocket, covering his mouth. “My friends all think I’m crazy as a loon.”

“Are you?”

“Nah.” His mouth twisted, caught between sharp, conflicting emotions. “I just like to live a little on the edge.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that. “Now, why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“I guess you’re just perceptive. And since it doesn’t look like I’m going to get lucky tonight,” he teased, “I say we go ahead and crash.”

“When was the last time you slept?” Lifting his hand, he touched the tip of his finger to one of the dark shadows beneath his eyes.

“Few days ago,” he rasped, his body going completely still as he touched him.

“What have you been doing every night?” she asked suspiciously.

With one hand across his heart, he gave him another slow, knowing grin. “I wasn’t out getting laid, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

He flushed with guilt. “That’s not what I mea-”

“I told you we’ve been searching for the Marker Tori’s wearing,” he rumbled, cutting him off as he turned and headed back into the bedroom, while he followed him. “With Brett’s and my night vision, we were pretty much able to search through the night, so long as the skies were clear.”

He watched as he pulled the gun from the waistband of his jeans, reached up and set it on top of the room’s high wardrobe, where Tori couldn’t reach, then lay down, settling his long body out over the sofa. Liam tried not to wince, knowing he had to be uncomfortable on the short piece of furniture…with his jeans still on, but he didn’t complain as he threw one tattooed arm over his eyes, one leg bent at the knee, resting against the back of the sofa.

“Do you want a blanket?” he asked.

“No, thanks.” The wryness of his tone was unmistakable as he reached down and rearranged the massive erection trapped inside his jeans. “With the state I’m in, I doubt I’m going to feel the cold anytime soon.”

Allowing himself a few moments to simply soak in his beauty, his chest rising and falling with his deep, even breathing, Liam finally turned out the light and settled into bed beside Tori. Thinking he was already asleep, he quietly said, “Good night, Theo.”

His deep voice surprised him, reaching through the dark like a physical caress. “Sleep tight, Li. And try not to dream of me if you can manage it.”

“You are so conceited.” He gave a soft laugh, knowing instinctively that he was grinning like a jackass.

“Maybe,” he rasped with a wicked drawl. “And you’re the one who talks in their sleep. So I’ll be listening, just in case.”


	7. Chapter 7

_ Lennox, Kentucky _

_ Saturday, 2:00 a.m. _

Adrian Harris didn’t like to lose. As one of the few Beasts permitted within Garrett Douglas’s inner circle of power, he’d grown accustomed to enjoying the privileges and respect that were his due. And after slowly rotting away within Eichen, the hellhole of a prison that had held the Beasts for over a thousand years, Adrian figured he was due a hell of a lot.

No one, however, was paying out. Instead, his time was being wasted cleaning up after others’ mistakes—a circumstance that a perfectionist like Adrian loathed. It was embarrassing to be surrounded by mediocrity and failure. Now the Hale child was not only gone, she was under Pack protection, which meant that her capture had just gone from a walk in the park…to deadly.

Staring up at the two-story house where their prey had been hiding, Adrian was furious they’d been allowed to escape, his rage like a thick black toxin scraping through his veins. Curling his lip, he shifted his gaze toward the ominous storm clouds gathering overhead, his eyes burning with hatred as though the grumbling heavens were to blame for the asinine situation. But he knew better. No celestial beings could claim credit for the failures that surrounded him. No, it was his brethren who were to blame. Specifically, Deucalion. As the bitter December winds chafed the chiselled face of the body his Beast shade now occupied, whipping the shaggy strands of thin, mousy brown-coloured hair around his head, Adrian slowly flexed his hands at his sides, struggling to control his anger at those under his command.

“To lose control is to lose your focus,” he rasped, the low words swallowed by the eerie cry of the wind as it swept through the thrashing treetops. But restraint wasn’t easy. After all, he wasn’t meant to be standing beneath a Kentucky moon, dealing with a bunch of incompetent idiots. Instead, Adrian had been meant to come through in the final wave, when Douglas—the Beast who had risen and offered his imprisoned brethren the chance for freedom—finally returned to this world, bringing the flood with him. But a change in the timeline had been necessitated by the problem of Ennis Westwood. Despite being mortally wounded several weeks ago, Ennis’s shade had not returned to Eichen. Somehow he still inhabited this realm—and they needed to know why.

They also needed him dead.

Ennis’s sister, Kali, had been the first Casus who’d escaped Eichen, and it was Derek Hale who had used a Dark Marker to send Kali’s shade to hell. Now Ennis was obsessed with destroying the Hales in order to avenge his sister’s death. He cared nothing for his orders or Douglas’s authority or even his fellow Beasts. In short, he was a loose cannon that Marcel and Douglas wanted contained, as well as the Collective Generals, and so Douglas had finally sent Adrian, one of his best, most ruthless soldiers, to see that the job was completed.

Adrian was only too happy to send Ennis back to the pit, if they could actually find the bastard. Marcel had been using all the resources at his disposal to come up with a lead on Ennis’s whereabouts, and had even gone so far as to capture Josh Davies, the male Hale whose awakening had been caused by Ennis’s return to this world. According to the rules Douglas had established for their returns, his “kill” should have been reserved for no one but Ennis himself, providing him with enough power to pull another shade from Eichen without any help from Douglas and his followers. Stealing him was the ultimate insult—and at this point, they were looking to strike out at Ennis with everything they had.

While waiting for Marcel’s men to pick up a lead, Adrian had contented himself with hunting down his own awakened Hale, who had just so happened to be Josh Davies’ older sister, Allison. It had been the most delicious of surprises when he’d learned that she was not only part Hale, but a McCall witch, as well. The witch had been the first of her kind that Adrian had ever killed, but she definitely wouldn’t be the last. Not when he’d discovered just how intoxicating it could be to sink his teeth into warm, delectable McCall. Though many of his brethren had hunted the McCall prior to the Beasts’ imprisonment, that had been before the clan of witches had been cursed—and it was because of the curse that Allison Argent’s death had been so…perfect. So addictive that he now wanted the woman’s brother and daughter with a hunger that scraped his insides like metal against bone, but they had been decreed off-limits.

He’d have liked to rage at the heavens for that as well, but knew he had no one to blame but himself. If he’d kept his mouth shut, Josh Davies could have already been his. He was in Marcel’s custody, hidden away in a place where no one would ever find him. If he’d asked, odds were that he would have been given to him once he’d completed his mission and destroyed Ennis. But Adrian’s lone mistake had been in telling Marcel about the intense pleasures of his kill when he’d taken the sister’s life. Upon hearing Adrian’s description, Marcel—who remained embarrassingly eager to please Douglas—had immediately decided that Josh Davies should be kept for the leader himself, so that Douglas might claim the pleasures of his death as his own.

And despite the fact that Allison Argent’s daughter was too young to wholly satisfy a Beast’s hunger, there was always the chance she might give her killer the same kind of kick her mama had provided Adrian. Hoping Douglas might enjoy killing the child for her McCall blood alone, Marcel had put out the order that she be brought in, as well. Her capture had been placed in the hands of Deucalion, but Adrian had been asked to oversee the operation, since Marcel was no longer in the country.

Though Adrian was now busy with his search for Ennis, a recent lead in Mississippi taking his full attention, he’d gotten to Lennox as quickly as possible when he’d learned that Allison’s daughter and the child’s uncle - the human Hale step brother named Liam - were finally going to be taken that night. Unfortunately, he hadn’t arrived until a quarter of an hour ago, and by that time, Deucalion had not only allowed them to escape…but had also lost most of his unit in the process.

They’d been waiting weeks for this opportunity, and now Deucalion had blown it. It had been impossible to get to the child when the Hale house had been packed to the gills with humans. Too much potential for exposure, and Marcel had demanded they keep a low profile. Adrian knew it had been a simple case of waiting them out, but now Deucalion had delivered them right into the hands of the Pack.

Marcel was going to be displeased, to say the least. And Adrian was ready to draw blood.

While his own personal unit of Beasts searched the surrounding area, Adrian knelt and scooped up a handful of grass and dirt from the house’s backyard, lifting it to his nose. With a low growl he pulled in a deep breath, his muscles coiling as the scent of the child’s uncle slid down his throat. For a human, he smelled deliciously ripe. He’d given Deucalion specific orders to bring the human and the child to him, so that he could deliver them to Marcel himself. They’d deemed it too dangerous to leave the uncle behind, unsure what he would do once the child was taken. Adrian assumed Marcel had something in mind for the human, and though he considered himself a loyal soldier, he found himself tempted to take Liam Dunbar for his own. Marcel wouldn’t be happy, but Adrian considered it a fair exchange, since he wouldn’t be allowed to touch the little girl.

Overhead, the sky splintered with a sudden sharp crack of lightning, and from the corner of his vision Adrian spotted Deucalion stepping out of the shadowed woods, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. The Beast looked worried as he moved across the wide lawn, but then he had reason to be. This was the second time that he’d screwed up, the first being when he’d taken it upon himself to try to talk Ennis into being a team player, instead of taking him down when he had the chance in Washington. That mistake had resulted in the loss of too many Beasts, and now he’d lost even more, their shades returning to Eichen, where they would have to wait until they could be pulled back across the divide.

Moving to his full height, Adrian let his mouth curl into a hard, dangerous smile that stopped the approaching Beast in his tracks. “I see you’ve failed again,” he drawled. “Tell me, Deucalion. Is this becoming a habit of yours? Because it certainly seems that way from where I’m standing.”

“You know the Pack are lethal fighters,” Deucalion grunted, the moonlight glinting off the pale skin that covered his human host, while a crimson patch of blood spread out over the shoulder he’d obviously injured during the fight. “And they had a Marker with them.”

Adrian arched his brows, his voice a slow, cultured drawl as he spread his arms wide and said, “Look around you, Deucalion. Do you see any burning piles of ashes? No one’s been sent to hell. Their possession of the Marker was irrelevant tonight.”

Deucalion’s beefy hands flexed at his sides. “The bastards used guns on us, instead of fighting hand-to-hand.”

“Then the answer seems simple.” Adrian fought the urge to shred the idiot’s face with the razor-sharp claws prickling at the tips of his fingers. “Get a fucking gun.”

“What’s the point,” the Beast argued with his characteristic stubbornness, “when bullets don’t even kill most of the shifter breeds?”

Adrian took a step forward, going nose-to-nose with the bald behemoth. “I’m going to offer you a little advice, Deucalion. And if you’re smart, you’ll take it. Douglas expects you to succeed when you’re given a task, and that means adapting your strategy so that you can defeat the enemy. I would have thought that became rather obvious after you got your ass kicked in Washington last month. They weren’t worried tonight about sending our brothers to hell. They just wanted to get the human and the child out alive. It stands to reason, then, that a few well-placed bullets, which would certainly slow them down, might have been a good idea. Who gives a damn if it doesn’t kill them, so long as it enables us to get our hands on the target!”

“The Pack have bought them some time,” Deucalion muttered, sounding like a belligerent child, “but that’s all. I won’t fail the next time.”

“You’d sure as hell better hope you don’t. And seeing as how you allowed your Beast unit to get sent back to the pit, you’ll be taking Marcel’s men with you now.”

The Beast’s face turned blotchy with rage, and Adrian didn’t even try to hold back his mocking smile. “I can see the idea doesn’t sit well with you,” he drawled, “and to be honest, Deucalion, I really don’t give a shit.”

“I refuse to work with the Dreads,” the Beast snarled. “Aside from Marcel, I don’t trust them.”

A lock of hair fell across his brow as Adrian shook his head. “You can refuse all you like, but it isn’t going to matter.”

While he gave himself a moment to enjoy the way Deucalion ground his jaw, no doubt choking on his bitterness, a sound off to their right caught Adrian’s attention. Turning his head, he found two of the Beasts from his own unit coming toward him, a struggling teenage girl trapped between them. They’d gagged her with a strip of cloth, her muffled cries for help too silent to draw anyone’s attention from the neighbouring houses, though they sent a shiver of anticipation down Adrian’s spine.

“And what do you have here?” he asked.

“We caught her creeping away from the house next door,” the Casus on her right replied, his long fingers digging into the wriggling girl’s biceps. “Said she was sneaking out to meet her boyfriend, but we haven’t found any sign of him.”

Adrian clucked his tongue. “Naughty girl,” he murmured, moving toward her. She trembled, tears pouring down her face, the heavy scent of her terror making his mouth water. Others from his unit came their way, drawn no doubt by the girl’s fear-thick scent. Addressing two of his men, Adrian said, “Search the woods for the boyfriend. If you find him, I want him brought in alive.”

“What are you going to do with her?” Deucalion demanded at his back.

Looking over his shoulder, Adrian arched one brow. “Is that really any of your business?”

Deucalion’s voice shook with rage. “You can’t kill her. It’s forbidden to feed from a human until Douglas says otherwise. We’re only allowed to feed from animals, Adrian.”

“On the contrary,” Adrian replied with a low, husky laugh. “She’s seen our faces, which means she can’t be allowed to live. Douglas would insist she be taken down.”

Deucalion’s ice-blue eyes burned with hatred. “You can’t feed from her.”

“Wrong, Deucalion. I can do whatever the hell I want.” Turning his attention back to the girl, Adrian reached out and stroked his hand down the pale, shimmering length of her golden hair. “She must be dealt with immediately.”

Deucalion moved to Adrian’s right, aggression pumping off his muscular body like a sweltering wave of heat, his meaty hands fisted with frustration. “You’re walking a dangerous line, Adrian.”

Cocking his head a fraction to the side, Adrian held the Beast’s scornful stare, silently warning him to back off. When Deucalion failed to relent, Adrian transformed his right hand in a lightning-quick movement, his long claws wrapping around Deucalion’s throat before the Beast could so much as blink. Deucalion froze, his eyes wide with fear, his clammy skin only a fraction away from being sliced open beneath Adrian’s lethal grip.

Leaning close, Adrian whispered against the other man’s cheek. “Do you really want to lecture me, Deucalion?”

The Beast held perfectly still, not even daring to breathe, and Adrian gave a low, arrogant rumble of laughter. “That’s what I thought,” he drawled, releasing his hold. Deucalion swallowed convulsively, sucking in a shuddering breath, his expression an entertaining blend of outrage, relief and lingering fear. Adrian smirked at how easy it’d been to cow the soldier, then turned his attention back to the girl, whose terrified gaze had latched itself on to his clawed right hand.

“Now, where were we, sweetheart?” 

She screamed behind the gag, flailing and kicking, but he could see in her glazed eyes that she knew it was too late. Nothing was going to save her now. Not her boyfriend or her sleeping parents or Deucalion’s pathetic protests. And despite what Deucalion believed, there would be no repercussions for her death. After all, Adrian had Douglas’s permission to take as many of her kind as he needed.

His whole purpose in being there was to take down Ennis, and it was no secret that he had been taking human meals. In order to match him in strength, Adrian had been given permission to take proper feedings, so long as he was careful to keep control of his hunger, without allowing it to override his reason, as it had done to Ennis’s sister.

Thunder bellowed in the distance, echoing the frantic pounding of the girl’s heart as Adrian growled with triumph, shifting and into his Beast form and taking his first bite at her shoulder, burying his fangs hard and deep. God, there was nothing like it, the power that came with the kill.

Though his ears were roaring with the ecstasy of the kill, a sharp sound caught his attention, and as he turned his wolf-shaped head to the right, he found Deucalion backing away, the Beast’s forearm held over the lower part of his face, as if to block out the intoxicating scent and taste of the girl’s blood in the air. Staring into the man’s horrified eyes, Adrian gave him a slow, bloodied smile.

“And Deucalion,” he called out, the raspy words garbled by the distorted shape of his mouth.

“Yeah?”

“Third time’s a charm. Screw up again and I’ll be sending you back to Eichen myself. In pieces.”

The Beast responded with a curt nod, then turned and quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving Adrian to his feast.


	8. Chapter 8

_ Saturday morning _

The instant Liam opened his eyes, the bright streams of sunshine creeping around the edges of the blinds told him that he’d overslept. He was still rubbing his eyes, trying to get his brain working, when Theo came out of the steam-filled bathroom wearing nothing but his signature smart-ass grin…and a snowy-white towel tied around his sleek waist. He knew he should look away, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Not in this lifetime. The guy was nothing short of perfection. Pure animalistic beauty, deadly and dangerous and drop-dead gorgeous. He couldn’t stop watching the way his muscles moved beneath all that dark golden skin as he walked across the room, everything cut and tight…and big. He wasn’t some shrinking violet, but it was impossible not to feel small and delicate and dainty when he was near. His body was massive… _ huge _ , the towel leaving far too much firm, mouthwatering flesh for him to ogle.

_ And you’re going to just keep on ogling the poor guy until you make an ass of yourself, aren’t you? _

He mentally nodded in response to the silent question, knowing it was true. But what hot-blooded man wouldn’t ogle such a prime specimen of rugged, masculine beauty? He truly did remind him of an ancient Celtic warrior. His body wasn’t the kind you found in a gym. No, it was a body that had been honed into a lethal weapon, its purpose to destroy its enemies. His shoulders were broad, his muscles ropy and thick, and yet he didn’t look overblown. Instead, Theo Raeken had the sleek, toned look of a deadly predator. One he could easily imagine crouching in the silent darkness of the night with gaping jaws, eyes glowing as it stalked its prey.

Knowing he was going to do something embarrassing if he allowed himself to keep staring, Liam managed a deep breath and finally forced himself to look away. He figured he would last about a second before his gaze shot right back to him, gorging on the visual feast, but a startled cry broke from his lips the instant he spotted the empty side of the bed. “Where’s Tori?” he demanded, lurching up into a sitting position, his wild gaze flying around the room in a terrified search for his niece.

“Calm down, Li. She’s fine.” His gaze whipped back in Theo’s direction as he picked up a comb off the dresser and began working it through the wet skeins of his hair, his powerful biceps bulging as he raised his arms. “You were out for the count when she woke up, so I helped her pick out some clothes. She dressed herself in the bathroom, brushed her teeth, then claimed she was starving, so Brett and Nolan took her to the restaurant for some pancakes and sausage.” With a grin kicking up the corner of his mouth, he laughed as he said, “She’s already got those two wrapped around her little finger.”

“Oh.” He blinked, trying to decide how he felt about that. “Will she be okay with them?” He gave him a look that had him wincing, and he shook his head, trying to get his thoughts in order. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, rubbing two fingers against his pounding forehead. “I don’t mean to insult anyone, especially after what the three of you did for us last night. It’s just that I don’t…well, I don’t know them.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to Tori on our watch, Li. Brett and Nolan are two of the best guys I’ve ever known. They’re taking good care of her.”

Liam nodded, surprised to find that he actually believed him. The pressure in his chest began to ease a little, allowing his heart to beat a bit more normally, his lungs no longer choked with fear. Of course, the instant he was no longer upset about Tori, his hormones reminded him that he was alone with a half-naked man. One who just so happened to be the hottest thing he’d ever set eyes on. And as one minute flowed into the next, Liam suddenly found himself thinking that if the towel around Raeken’s waist was just a  _ little _ smaller, he’d be able to get a glimpse of…well, of  _ all _ of him. And from what he’d seen last night, he knew there’d be nothing “little” about it.

Running his tongue over his lower lip, he did his best not to dwell on that particular thought…or to drool over the hard muscles moving so sinuously beneath his dark skin. But God, he’d had no idea that a man could actually be built like  _ that _ . Of course, the second the thought fired its way through his brain, he realised his mistake. Theo wasn’t a man. He was something  _ other _ …something  _ more _ . And from the looks of the bulge beneath that white cotton, a lot of it appeared to be between his legs.

_ And there you go obsessing about the guy’s crotch again! Get a grip, dude. This is getting ridiculous. _

Pressing his hand to his forehead, Liam coughed, striving to sound normal as he said, “Uh, shouldn’t you get dressed?”

“Should I?” His low voice reminded him of a sensual purr, thick and dark and sexy, his hazel eyes heavy lidded as he watched him with a strange, searing intensity that had chills dancing over his skin.

He pulled his brows together as he studied his hypnotic expression. Quietly he said, “Are you trying to seduce me, then?”

The wicked smile that slowly curled across his mouth did something funny to his pulse, the rushing sound outrageously loud in his ears. “Is that what I’m doing, Li? Seducing you?”

“I told you before,” he said carefully, surprised by the hoarseness of the words, “that I’m not all that impressed with sex.”

A deep, husky burst of laughter rumbled up from his chest, the provocative sound making him realise that he’d never really noticed how bone-meltingly sexy a laugh could be. “Yeah, well—” he tossed the comb back onto the dresser and gave a laid-back kind of shrug “-that’s probably because you’ve been having sex with the wrong kind of guys, honey.”

Even though he knew he should have been mortified by the conversation, Liam couldn’t help but laugh. “I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right.”

“What happened with the dickhead ex, anyway?” He moved to the foot of the bed, where he must have placed his bag before taking his shower.

Liam pulled his sheet-covered knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “Donovan was a divorced dad whose son was in my class last year. Turned out he thought I’d make a good stepdad, but wasn’t all that interested in ‘satisfying himself exclusively’ with a man like me for the rest of his life. His exact words, no less.”

“You’re kidding me,” he grunted, shooting him a dark look from under his brows. “That’s some kind of joke, right?”

A bitter laugh broke from his throat. “Trust me, I wish it was.”

“What a prick.” The masculine look of outrage on his beautiful face did wonders for his wounded pride. “And you actually liked this guy?”

He rolled his lips inward as he turned his attention to tracing the floral pattern on the comforter. “He was my slice of normal.”

“Slice of normal? What the hell’s that mean?”

Glancing up, he tried to explain. “I’m the lone human in my family, Theo. Donovan was…well, he was where I thought I belonged. The human boyfriend who could offer me a nice little human life. My slice of normal.”

He pulled on a pair of boxers under his towel, then tossed the towel onto the end of the bed. “But did you  _ like _ him?”

“We seemed to have a lot in common,” he said with another soft laugh, eyeing the discarded towel. He wanted to pull it against his face, where he could have a deeper pull of the man’s dark, alluring scent, and he had to force himself not to act on the impulse. “And Donovan and I got along well,” he added, lifting his gaze to find him pulling a pair of faded jeans out next. “I really wanted to like him.”

With his mouth curled in a cocky smile, Theo gave a sarcastic snort. “That’s a telling answer,” he drawled as he pulled on the jeans and buttoned the fly.

“Yeah, I guess it is. But it’s the truth. His son, Nathan, was adorable, and at first Donovan seemed like the perfect guy. It wasn’t until I caught him…” He paused, his voice trailing away as he realised what he was doing, pouring out his heart to a guy who could easily run for the King of the Studs. “God, I don’t even know why I’m telling you this,” he admitted with an embarrassed laugh, hiding his face behind his hands.

“Aw, don’t be like that. I’m dying of curiosity over here, Li.”

Peeking at him through his fingers, he watched as he slipped on a dark green T-shirt that did amazing things to his eyes. “Seriously, Theo. It’s not like you’re even interested. You’re just being…nice.”

“Trust me,” he muttered under his breath, his attention focused on his bag as he zipped it closed, “I’m not particularly nice to humans. And after last night, you should have figured out that you’re wrong about the not being interested part, as well.”

Tilting his head to the side, he tried to read his expression. “I so don’t get you.”

“What’s not to get?” he asked, shooting him a sideways look as he grabbed his gun from its hiding place on top of the wardrobe.

“It’s just…well, I would think humans would be boring for a man like you. Not to mention the fact that you don’t like humans to begin with.”

Liam wondered if he kept repeating that particular truth as a way to remind himself to keep his head, or if he just liked the twinge of pain it inflicted. Before he could decide on the answer, he shocked him by saying, “Actually, I prefer them.”

Though he’d averted his gaze, Theo could feel Liam’s confusion as he tried to come up with a logical reason for why he would prefer sleeping with a species that he hated.

“I don’t understand.” Soft, nearly silent words. “Why would you prefer them?”

“Because they’re safe,” he muttered, checking the clip on the Glock.

“Safe?”

Rolling his shoulder, he struggled to put the truth into words as he reached behind him and slipped the gun into the waistband of his jeans. “They don’t get to me. Don’t make me feel anything I don’t want to feel. They’re just…there.”

His breath sucked in with a shaky gasp, and Theo knew exactly how he’d taken the telling statement. Knew he was thinking the worst of him—that he was a user, a bastard. Which was pretty much the truth. He wanted to say something to make him understand that he was different, but what could he say that wouldn’t make it worse?

Better just to change the subject before he ended up saying something he would really regret. “So this ex.” He refused to say the prick’s name. “Didn’t he mind?”

“Uh, mind what?”

Slipping his wallet into his back pocket, he ran his tongue over his teeth. “The fact that he couldn’t get you off.”

His eyes went wide. “How do you know that he didn’t?”

Theo shot him a crooked smile that felt tight on his face. “If he had, you wouldn’t keep claiming that sex isn’t really your thing.”

He frowned, looking for a moment as if he would tell him it was none of his damn business. But then he exhaled a soft breath of air, his irritation seeming to bleed out as he said, “I don’t really know if he knew, since we didn’t talk about it. But maybe…maybe that’s why he felt the need to get his jollies elsewhere.”

“So he was an idiot as well as a prick,” he snorted, wishing he could have just five minutes alone with the guy. That was all it would take to repay the bastard for hurting him.

“Pretty much.” He shrugged, his eyes dark with emotion. “But I tried to make it work. I mean, it wasn’t like I didn’t…make an effort.”

Theo knew exactly what he was attempting to say. He’d tried to enjoy sex with the worthless prick, and as his soft words melted into him, something hot and thick twisted through his insides, the powerful sensation as foreign as it was disturbing.

_ That’s because for the first time in your life, you’re actually jealous _ .

_ Whoa. _ Sagging back against the wall, he scrubbed his hands down his face as he tried to wrap his mind around that stunning realisation.

Knowing this was going to spell trouble, Theo wanted to laugh it off as some kind of cosmic prank, but the truth was hard to deny. And to make it even worse, he wasn’t the only one who was dealing with that ugly green monster. No, his beast was suddenly focusing on Liam with a fierce, possessive purpose, its guttural voice snarling within his head that he was  _ his _ . He forced himself to look away from him, but the damage had already been done. The provocative image of him sitting there in the midst of all that soft white bedding, his hair tousled, cheeks still warm from the heat of his blush, already had his dick as hard as a friggin’ spike. His gums burned from the weight of his fangs, the animal in him more than ready to come out and take matters into its own greedy hands.

“Theo, are you okay?” He sounded concerned, and for some illogical reason the idea made him even harder, the fire in his gums growing hotter. Molten. And yet there was panic there as well, flavoring the sharp, visceral burn of lust. He didn’t want this raging desire to  _ mark _ him, damn it. Didn’t want to be filled with savage thoughts of possession—of keeping him and owning him forever. Of having the right to break any asshole who tried to put their filthy hands on him. That was a bad,  _ bad _ road, because in the back of his mind burned the ugly truth that once he really clued in to what he was, to the things he’d want from him, to the fact that he was a hell of a lot more animal than man, he wasn’t going to be able to run fast enough.

Not to mention what his reaction would be like if he ever learned about his past. Learned where he’d come from. What he’d done to survive. If that didn’t have him looking at him with revulsion, nothing would.

“Seriously, say something. Please. You’re starting to freak me out.”

Worrying his hand over his mouth, he managed to scrape out a husky “We need to get out of here.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“You don’t want to know,” he muttered, pushing away from the wall.

“Yes, I—”

“Just get dressed.” He threw the words over his shoulder, sweating, shaking, knowing he had only seconds before the wolf was out of its cage. Literally. And for the first time in years, Theo honestly didn’t know if he’d be able to control it. Not when his very proximity tempted him to do the unthinkable, binding himself to a human who would end up cutting his goddamn heart out.

“I’ll be waiting outside,” he growled, and without looking back, he headed for the door.

***

Confused by the man’s strange, turbulent mood swings, Liam rushed through his morning routine, then threw on some jeans and a hooded jumper. When he left the room, he found Theo smoking a cigarette, his body all but vibrating with a hard, restless energy as he leaned against the outer wall of the hotel. “I didn’t know you smoked.”

“I usually don’t,” he muttered, glaring down at the filter pinched between his thumb and forefinger, as if he was almost surprised to find it there in his hand. Dropping the cigarette, he ground it out with his boot. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”

The instant they stepped into the brightly lit restaurant they spotted Brett and Nolan at a booth in the back corner, both men a good half a foot taller than any of the other customers, with Tori’s little body wedged protectively between them. Nolan sat on her right, carefully cutting up a fluffy stack of pancakes. He was beautiful, in a dark, fallen angel kind of way, a menacing aura of danger and violence flowing around him. But the gentle smile on his face as he talked with Tori assured Liam that he wasn’t a threat to his niece. Clearly, Tori was already working her charm on the guys, her face glowing as they gave her their full attention. Then Liam realised what Tori was wearing, and he couldn’t hold back a choked laugh of surprise. Looking at the gorgeous male standing at his side, he said, “I thought you helped her pick her clothes out.”

“I did,” Theo said defensively, sliding him a sideways glance. “She looks adorable.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “She looks like a pink nightmare in that outfit.”

His eyes crinkled sexily at the corners as he looked toward Tori. “What’s wrong with it? Everything’s pink.”

Everything was pink, all right. His niece was wearing a hot-pink polka-dotted jumper with a magenta-and-periwinkle-striped shirt underneath, topped off by a strawberry-pink hair band. “Never mind.” He sighed, knowing he would think he was crazy if he tried to explain that just because something was a “shade” of pink didn’t mean that it matched.

Though he was still vibing that hot, strange burn of energy that had come over him in the hotel room, his touch was gentle as he took his elbow and guided him across the crowded restaurant. As they neared the booth, Brett’s head suddenly shot up…and he lifted his nose a little higher in the air, like an animal searching for a scent. A wicked smile slowly curled its way across his mouth, his eyes glittering with humour as he looked at Theo. “Man, Theo. He really does smell tasty, doesn’t he?”

Frowning and feeling acutely self-conscious, Liam slid into the empty side of the booth. “Isn’t there something I can do about…the scent?” he asked Theo as he slid in beside him.

His mouth hardened, and he shook his head. “’Fraid not. No matter what you do, it’s going to bleed through.”

“And it’s that different?” he asked tightly, though he forced a smile on his face for Tori’s benefit.

He cleared his throat, his gaze shifting away as he said, “Yeah. It’s pretty different, all right.”

Brett sent him a sheepish grin from the other side of the table. “Guess I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

“No harm done,” he murmured just as their server came to the table, her baby blues zeroed in on Theo as she asked if they were ready to place their orders. Liam fought to hold his smile in place as Kandy, according to the name tag pinned just to the left of her cleavage, began to flirt with Theo. Not caring to witness his response, he muttered that he’d take a coffee and croissant, then focused his full attention on the men sitting across from them. Now that he was closer, little details caught his attention, making it obvious that the guys were working hard to project a carefree image for Tori’s sake.

Brett had an edgy alertness in his odd-coloured eyes, as if he was just waiting for something bad to happen.

Nolan, on the other hand, looked exhausted. The dark, bruise-colored shadows under his eyes only made the unusual blue seem brighter beneath the wisps of hair that fell over his brow. Though he couldn’t explain it, there was something about him that Liam couldn’t quite put his finger on. He hadn’t healed as quickly as Brett, his lip still mending from their fight with the Casus, but he wasn’t buying Theo’s claim that the guy was human. There was something deeper to him. Some dark current that ran just beneath his beautiful surface, and yet Liam didn’t sense danger from Nolan Holloway. Not for him, and certainly not for Tori.

And Theo had been right about Tori having the two warriors wrapped around her little finger. Not only had they obviously been showering her with attention, but her pancakes had been cut into perfect little triangles.

“She said that’s how she likes them,” Nolan murmured, a wry grin on his face as he gestured with his chin toward Tori’s plate.

“They’re perfect,” he replied, watching as Tori grinned around a huge bite of pancake and syrup.

“I have a niece who likes them the same way,” he told him, taking a drink of his coffee, “so I’ve had my share of practice.”

Looking from Nolan to Brett, he said, “Thank you for bringing Tori over.”

“We figured you could use a little time to yourself,” Brett rumbled, and from the corner of his eye he caught the look of warning that Theo shot the grinning Pack member.

Kandy returned with their coffees and his croissant, her eyes focused on Theo with almost worshipful attention as she told him she’d have his order to him right away, then asked if there was anything else she could get for him. Li had the ridiculous impulse to defend his territory, the white-hot burn of jealousy actually hurting as it rolled through his system. He frowned with confusion, wondering what was wrong with him. After so many careful years of control, he was letting this man get to him, allowing his emotions to get the better of him. Taking a deep breath, he reminded himself that the dumbest thing he could do was get twisted up about a guy like Theo. It would be a disaster in the making, because he could see just how it would pan out, with him falling hard…and him walking away without a backward glance.

_ That’s the last thing you need, Li. No matter how freaking gorgeous and sexy and protective he is. _

“So what’s our plan for heading home?” Brett asked as soon as Kandy had swished her tiny little backside away again. Theo began talking, and as he explained about the alternative routes they could take and how they could loop back on themselves to throw off the Beasts, Liam doctored his coffee with cream and sugar. Sweeping his gaze over the restaurant, he noticed that more than one pair of interested eyes were zeroed in on their table…and the devastatingly attractive shape-shifter sitting at his side, his provocative air of danger serving only to draw them closer, like flies to honey.

His fingers tightened on his mug, hisr throat burning from the possessive words he knew he couldn’t say.  _ Let it go _ , he silently muttered.  _ If you don’t, you’re going to make a complete fool of yourself. Then you’re really going to be embarrassed. _

No sooner had he finished the thought than Kandy came strolling back, this time with Theo’s breakfast…and a perky brunette who refilled his coffee, her smile as flirtatious as her friend’s. At least Theo had the sense to look annoyed with the attention, and Liam could have sworn he muttered something foul under his breath when they finally left the table.

“Aren’t you eating?” he asked Nolan and Brett, while Theo dug into his food.

Brett laughed. “We already did. This is Tori’s second helping of pancakes.”

Tori giggled and made a snorting sound like a pig, which had them all laughing. “For such a little thing,” Nolan drawled, “she can really pack it away.”

Tori smiled proudly, and while Theo finished his breakfast, Liam talked to his niece about the trip they would be taking to Colorado, answering her questions, along with help from Brett and Nolan. Theo had just taken his last bite of scrambled eggs when Brett said, “So I got a call from Isaac on our way over here.”

“Everything okay?” Theo asked, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Brett shrugged and pushed his empty coffee cup away. “I don’t know. He sounded kinda weirded out, but said he couldn’t go into any details. Just that we should be ‘ready for trouble.’ You know how he is. One of those ‘expect the unexpected’ lectures he loves to give, but he didn’t back it up with any meat. Said he had some research to do and was going to call back this afternoon.”

Theo leaned back in the booth, his right arm brushing against Liam’s side with a tingling rush of warmth that he did his best to ignore. “Huh. Wonder what’s going down.”

“Me, too,” Brett murmured. “Before he hung up, he did say that he’d try to get an update on the search for Josh.”

“Speaking of your brother,” Nolan said, his pale blue eyes snagging Liam’s gaze, “does he look like you?”

Liam shook his head. “We’re only stepsiblings. Josh is…well, he’s beautiful. Here,” he told him, digging out his wallet, “I have a picture.”

“Nice,” Nolan murmured as he handed over the snapshot. Brett simply stared at the photograph, his gaze shadowed by his lowered lashes, concealing his own reaction.

“How did they pick him up?” Theo asked, leaning forward so that he could see the photo, too.

Liam fought to keep his voice even, not wanting to upset Tori, who was happily finishing off the last of her pancakes. “He’d taken a trip down to Florida to visit some friends he went to college with. When he left to come home, he went missing and never made it back to Kentucky. That was a little more than five weeks ago.”

“You mind if I keep this?” Brett asked in a low voice, already reaching over and snagging the photo from Nolan’s fingers.

“Uh, no, not at all,” he told him, though he had a strange feeling he would have kept the photo regardless of what he’d said. He had so many questions about the search for his brother, but before he could say anything, Kandy came back to the table. As the flirty blonde slid Theo the bill, Liam saw that she’d written her phone number on the bottom. Rolling his eyes again, he was about to ask Brett and Nolan if this kind of thing happened to Theo all the time when a group of attractive coeds who had been staring at him from one of the nearby tables walked over and started commenting on his “wicked tatts.” Then they asked if he was going to be in town long.

Across the booth, both guys snickered under their breath, and Liam locked his jaw, determined not to say anything - not to  _ feel  _ anything. Honestly, it was like a bad joke, the way people kept coming on to him right in front of him, as if it was a given that they weren’t a couple.

Either that or they simply didn’t care that he was there with another man.

At least Theo managed to get rid of them quickly. The instant they walked away, he slid a suspicious look toward Brett. “Are you behind this?”

Brett lifted his hands. “Hey, don’t blame me. I’m innocent.”

Theo made a snide, sarcastic sound of disbelief in the back of his throat, looking as if he wanted to throttle the grinning shifter.

“Aw, don’t take it out on Brett. We can’t help it if you’re already gathering another fan club,” Nolan drawled with a low rumble of laughter.

Ouch. Liam really didn’t like the sound of  _ that _ . But he couldn’t say he was surprised. Using everything he had to control his wayward emotions, he took a deep breath and wiped the croissant crumbs from his fingers, aware of Theo studying his profile. “Another fan club?” he asked as he set down his napkin, pleased that the question sounded like nothing more than casual interest.

Brett leaned back in the booth and spread his arms along the back, an easy grin on his mouth as he explained. “Not that Nolan and I are slouches, but Theo here is like a babe magnet. I swear people go a little gaga whenever the guy’s around. We barely even get noticed.”

“Enough of this crap,” Theo muttered, his rough tone cut with anger and impatience. Taking Liam’s hand in a strong hold, he slid from the booth, pulling him along with him. If he hadn’t known better, he would have sworn he was being punked by his friends, but he couldn’t say this was the first time something like this had happened. It was, however, the first time he’d ever been embarrassed, not to mention irritated as hell by the kind of attention he often received, knowing it was going to make things more difficult with Liam. “Tori, I need to talk to your uncle for a second outside. You okay with that, sweetheart?”

The little girl nodded, giving him a shy grin, and Theo headed for the nearest exit, tugging Liam along behind him.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Theo grunted in response, his jaw clenched as he heard Brett and Nolan laughing back at the table. Taking hold of his elbow, he guided him through a side door and toward the back parking lot, where Nolan had parked his truck. He felt antsy, on edge, a combustible combination of too many irritating emotions itching beneath his skin. His scent and nearness still had his beast on the prowl and he put a mental lock on it, knowing he needed to calm down. When they reached the truck, he pushed him against the passenger door, his hands wrapped around his biceps, holding him in place. “I wouldn’t have.” He ground out the words, his tone guttural and sharp with frustration. “I mean, I didn’t even want to.”

He blinked up at him, looking completely confused. “Didn’t want to what?”

“I didn’t want to take them up on their offers,” he muttered. “Any of them.”

His cheeks flushed with colour, but he appeared perfectly calm as he shrugged his shoulders. “You don’t owe me any explanations, Theo. It’s none of my business.”

His offhand tone had him grinding his teeth. “Yeah, well. I just wanted you to know.”

He shrugged again, turning his face to the side as he stared into the woods that bordered the back of the parking lot. “Fine. If it makes you feel better.”

“Damn it,” he growled, giving him a little shake. “I’m trying to make  _ you _ feel better.”

“Me?” His brows nearly arched to his hairline, his gaze whipping back to his with a wide-eyed look of incredulity, as if he wasn’t making any sense. “What do I have to do with anything?”

Theo opened his mouth, but what could he say? For all intents and purposes, they were strangers. Twenty-four hours ago they hadn’t even known each other. And yet, with each second he spent with him…watching the way he was with Tori, pulling in his intoxicating scent, listening to the husky sound of his voice, he was slipping into him. Digging into him, deeper…and deeper, until he knew it was going to sting like a bitch when he walked away from him.

It shouldn’t have mattered what he thought. But it did. And damn it, though it didn’t make any sense, considering he was after a short-term score and nothing more, he wanted his actions and intentions to mean something to him, as well. He’d been expecting at least a little jealousy on his part, but he looked as if he couldn’t have cared less that those people had been pouring themselves over him. “I don’t get it, Li. Why are you acting like it doesn’t bother you?”

“Like  _ what _ doesn’t bother me?”

A thick sound of frustration vibrated in the back of his throat. “The way those people were flirting with me.”

“Because it doesn’t,” he said flatly.

He stared down at him with his eyes at half-mast, wishing he could get inside his head. There was something different about him, as if someone had flipped a switch and shut him down, leaving nothing but a pretty, decorative shell behind. Releasing his hold on his arms, he quietly asked, “Where’d Liam go?”

A little groove formed between his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you were different before we went into the restaurant. Now it’s like you’re all closed down.”

“There’s no great mystery, Theo. I’m just…back to my usual self.”

He might have sounded sincere, but he wasn’t buying it. “Bullshit. This isn’t you.”

“Yesterday was a fairly big shock to my system,” he murmured, “and I was obviously reacting to it. But I’m usually much better at keeping myself even.”

“Even?”

He squinted up at him, the butter-yellow sunshine doing mesmerising things to his hair, as if it were streaked with gold. Theo was fighting the urge to reach out and touch it, digging his fingers into the silken mass, when he asked, “Have you ever been around a McCall witch before?”

He thought for a moment, then shook his head, realising the answer was no. He’d known some Deatons, and even some Morrell witches, but never a McCall. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Well, if you had,” he explained in that same odd monotone that was really starting to get on his nerves, “then you’d understand.”

Pushing one hand back through his hair, Theo searched his mind for anything he might have heard about the McCall. “Because of their curse, they affect emotions, right?”

Liam nodded, his gaze sliding away again as he said, “If I wanted to keep my sanity, I had to learn to keep myself on an even keel. Any strong emotion gets blown out of proportion when you’re around a McCall witch.”

“Well, for what it’s worth,” he muttered, “I liked you better the other way.”

His gaze snapped back to his, and he couldn’t help but welcome the flash of temper that flared in his eyes. “I’m human, Theo. Remember? You shouldn’t like me at all.”

It was his turn to break eye contact, and he shoved his hands into his front pockets, not trusting the hunger itching beneath his skin, pushing him to act on impulse and just take what he wanted. “I have good reasons for the way I feel, Li.”

“Honestly, what is it with you?” The low words were flavoured with anger and accusation. “I mean, I keep trying to figure out what you’re after, but you’re making my head spin. One second you’re pushing, then you’re pulling back. You’re flirting, then you’re running from the room. It’s like a freaking roller coaster. What in God’s name do you want from me?”

A muscle ticked below his right eye, his muscles coiling for action, though he refused to move. “I want more than you could ever imagine,” he bit out, wondering if he had any idea how much it had cost him to pull away from him last night. To give him the space that he’d needed. How much it’d cost him not to lay himself down on him when he’d been lying in bed that morning, all soft and warm and more tempting than any other man he could ever remember having beneath him. “And I want it a hell of a lot more than I should.”

His eyes were huge, the smoky blue burning with heat, luminous and bright, like stained glass backlit by the sun. His mouth trembled with all the sharp emotion he’d been trying so hard to hold inside. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy or not,” he countered in a deep voice roughened by need, crackling like a bed of autumn leaves, “it’s going to happen between us.”

“It isn’t.”

“It  _ is _ . You might as well stop fighting it.”

“It doesn’t make any sense for you to want me!” he burst out, that smooth shell of control cracking even further. “I’m a sexually repressed History teacher and you’re a strutting manwhore! We’re completely wrong for each other!”

“What the hell does that matter?” he shot back, his own gnawing frustration getting the better of him. “God, Li, it’s not like I said I want you forever!”


	9. Chapter 9

_ It’s not like I said I want you forever… _

Whoa. Jesus. Had he honestly just said that to a man? To Liam?

_ Nice one, man. You might as well have gone ahead and told him you want to fuck him a few times, then walk away, leaving him behind with your buddies while you go off and find someone else to screw around with. _

Popping his jaw, Theo wished he could turn around and kick his own ass for sounding like such a prick. At the same time, he wondered what it was about this guy that made him act like such a jackass. He hated the way he reacted to the callous words, that beautiful heat in his eyes quickly fading to something brittle and cold. Or maybe that was simply the bleakness of his own emotional wasteland reflecting back at him. Either way, Theo knew he’d messed up, and he fought hard to undo the damage. “But there’s no doubt that I want you, Li.”

He’d left some significant parts of that statement unspoken, but he’d heard them anyway.

“You mean you want me for sex.” A wry, crooked smile played at the corner of his mouth. “And that’s supposed to be enough?”

He took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “It could be if you let it.”

He shook his head, looking as if he was trying hard to close down again. “Even if that was a sane idea, I’d be an absolute fool to trust you.”

“For a relationship, yeah.” He pulled back his shoulders, instinctively fighting against the guilt. God, it wasn’t as if he was still going to want him around anyway, once he finally clued in to the differences between them. Sooner or later he would come to think of him as an animal - one who had been bought and used in the basest, vilest of ways - and then those hot looks of lust would change, replaced by disgust. Or worse.

Yeah, it might be selfish, but Theo knew he’d rather not be around when it happened.

“But you could trust me for an affair.” He tried to smile, but couldn’t really pull it off. “I’m great affair material, Li.”

He started to laugh, but the sound was hollow, and they both winced. “Affairs can be just as painful as relationships, Theo. I have no desire to be used and tossed aside.”

“You can’t be worried that I’ll use you, if you’re the one using me.” He knew he sounded close to begging, but he couldn’t stop. Couldn’t stand the thought of simply turning away from him, going back inside the restaurant and finding someone else to scratch the itch that he’d started. What was the point, when he knew he’d walk away from whoever he chose with this same raw, scraping need eating away at his gut, burning under his skin?

No, the man he wanted was standing right in front of him, and in that moment he honestly didn’t give a damn that he was human.

He just wanted him.

“I’ll make you feel good, Li. Seriously, this can be all about you, if that’s the way you want to play it. Just me giving you whatever you want, making you come like crazy, however many times you can take it.” He finally allowed himself to move in, crowding him against the truck. “Just…let me get close to you.”

“I can’t.” He wet his lips as he tilted his head back, holding his stare. “It would be a mistake, and I need to focus on Tori right now. I can’t afford to get involved with you, even if it is just for sex.”

“Sure you can.” Forcing an easy, boyish grin to his lips, he shifted even closer, trapping him between his body and the truck. And damn, but it felt good. Better than good. The intimate press of their chests, of his smaller body crushed against his larger frame, was just about the best damn thing that he’d ever experienced.

“Take my word for it, Li.” Lust gave a guttural edge to his teasing tone. “I promise I’ll be cheap.”

He was still snuffling a soft burst of laughter under his breath when Theo lowered his head, pressing his mouth against the tender side of his throat, his nose buried in the thick mass of his hair. The heady, provocative taste of his skin sent a deep, pulsing burst of pleasure sliding up his spine, curling around the backs of his ears, sharpening his breath. As he braced his hands against the cold surface of the truck, caging him in, a low growl vibrated in the back of his throat, the feel and scent and taste of him burning through him like a blistering wave of heat. It seemed like some kind of madness, how badly he wanted him, as if he’d been years without a man, rather than a mere matter of weeks. “You smell so good,” he groaned, his hands fisting against the window in hard, tight knots. “Taste good. Feel good.”

For a moment his body remained rigid with tension and remnants of anger, his breath panting and sharp against the soft sounds of the morning. His fingers danced along the bare skin of his arms, as if he wanted to grab hold of him but was struggling to fight the temptation. Then he trembled as he ran his tongue around the tender shell of his ear, nipping the delicate lobe with his teeth, and the stiffness flowed out of him on a soft groan, his head tilting to the side to give him better access as he whispered his name.

“Don’t fight it.” The order was thick, husky…raw hunger pouring through his veins in a heavy, visceral surge. Gripping his hip with one hand, Theo quickly shoved the other under his hair, his long fingers holding him in place as he kissed his way across his jaw, until he found the lush softness of his mouth. The wind rushed against their bodies, pulling at the strands of their hair…whipping at their clothes as he ate his way past those soft lips, his tongue rubbing against his, urging him to kiss him back. His taste melted through his body until he could feel it all the way down in his bones, and he growled from the heady sweetness, deepening the kiss.

“Theo,” he cried breathlessly, his tender lips moving against his, creating a slick, delicious friction, his nails digging into his biceps. “We’re outside. In broad daylight. We could be seen.”

“I’ll hear anyone who comes back here. I promise I won’t let anyone see us,” he choked out, the clipped, rough sound of his voice proof that the predator in him was gaining the upper hand. Again he was caught by how strange it was…the fact that he was actually getting off on kissing him. In the grand scheme of things, it was such an innocent act compared to what he usually did with men, and yet he couldn’t get enough of it.

Then again, there wasn’t anything all that innocent about the way their mouths were sealed together, the kiss turning hotter, slicker…hungrier, more devastating with each second that ticked by.

“Gotta touch you,” he growled, no longer sounding human as he pushed his hand between his legs. He cupped his cock in a hard, possessive hold, and even through his jeans he could feel his heat, the scent of his need growing stronger, rich and warm and salty. It made him want to release his fangs and sink them into his shoulder, marking him…holding him in his grip as he tore off his clothes, lifted him against the truck and shoved himself into him with a hard, hammering, throw-your-head-back-and-scream kind of drive.

“I can’t think,” he whispered, arching against him, and Theo could feel the pulse of his cock against the heel of his hand. “Theo, I-”

“Just let me,” he groaned, shaking, his body tight…slick with sweat. Warnings roared through his brain like shots from a cannon, but he beat them back, shutting them out.

_ It’s okay. You can handle it. Just take what you need. _

In the rational part of his mind, Theo knew he was only telling himself what he wanted to hear so that he could get him against him. Get more of his taste in his mouth. He’d convince himself that he was as harmless as any other man, if it meant he could have more of  _ this _ . He needed it too badly. Needed him under his hands, that enticing scent filling his head, sinking into his skin. Needed to take in the sumptuous, delicate details and know firsthand just how he felt. How he tasted in all those secret, intimate places.

And really, wasn’t he worrying for nothing? Keep his emotions under control, and there wouldn’t be any danger. Just a physical, carnal exchange of pleasure.

Except that his heart was pounding like a damn jackhammer.

_ If you let him, he’ll betray you. You know how fickle humans can be. How quickly they can turn on you. _ The words were whispered in his mind, but they weren’t his beast’s. No, the animal wanted him just as badly as Theo did. This was his fear speaking, its chilling voice scratchy and thin, like a hiss.  _ He’ll cut you deeper than any blade ever could. Bleed you out until there’s nothing left but meat and bones. _

He didn’t need the internal lecture. He knew the kind of threat he posed. But he didn’t give a damn. Before he could tell him no, he flicked the top button on his jeans and shoved his hand inside the top of his underwear, not even bothering with the zipper. He swallowed his hoarse cry of surprise with his mouth, thrusting deep with his tongue as he pushed his hand deeper, curling his hand around his cock, not stopping until he’d found the smooth, slick flesh hidden underneath his foreskin and rubbed over it with his thumb

He gasped his name, forcing his legs further apart with his knee so that he could reach more of him, the drenched slit of his cock like warm, drenched silk as he spread his precome, circling one blunt fingertip around the head. “You’re melting for me,” he whispered against his mouth, his breath panting and sweet as it pelted against his lips. “Like honey, Li. I bet you taste incredible.”

He shivered in response, arching against him. His hips moved the barest fraction, rubbing his cock against his hand. His body reacted with a thick surge of lust, and he locked his jaw, wondering if he could actually get so hard that he caused himself bodily harm.

_ Just go easy _ , he cautioned himself - but it seemed he was too jacked up for tenderness or finesse. With a low growl tearing up from the deepest reaches of his chest, Theo’s hand moved down his cock and between his legs, two slick fingers pushing past his rim. Deep.

And damn near died from the feel of him closing around his fingers.

Burying his damp forehead against his, he made a feral sound that should have scared the hell out of him, but only had him clenching around him, the soft, tender tissues burning hotter. He had the tightest ass he’d ever known, those lush, cushiony muscles clasping him in a greedy hold as he began to move his fingers in and out, working him with his hand the way he wanted to take him with his cock. Or his…tongue. An odd thought for him, and yet Theo couldn’t deny that he wanted to drop to his knees, rip his jeans away and bury his face in between those lush cheeks. He’d lick him with long, ravenous strokes, starved for the taste of him. Thrust his tongue inside and eat him from the inside out.

Touching him like this was heaven, as well as hell. And if he wasn’t careful, Theo knew he was going to lose a lot more than his sanity to this man.

“So beautiful,” he grunted, sounding like a friggin’ caveman as he watched the way his eyes grew heavy with pleasure, unfocused and dazed, his skin burning with bright splotches of colour. He liked the way his breath caught as he pushed the aching, rigid length of his cock against his, grinding against him while he withdrew his fingers. He teased them around the rim, his mind seared by thoughts of how good it was going to feel when he was kneeling between his splayed thighs. He writhed, watching him through the thick fringe of his lashes as he pushed against his hand, silently begging him to fill him up again.

And then not so silently as he groaned, “Theo…please.  _ More _ .”

With a low, wicked rumble of laughter, he plunged his fingers back inside, forcing him to take them deeper and rubbing his thumb hard against his perineum. He moved his fingers faster…harder, positive that his shyness would get the better of him and he’d close his eyes when he came. But he didn’t. No, he stared right back at him, every naked emotion and dazzling shock of pleasure burning right there in his wide gaze as it crashed through him, the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen. His head tilted back into his hand, his pink face covered with a fine sheen of sweat as he sank his teeth into his lower lip to keep from crying out, and he realised at that moment that making Liam Dunbar come apart in his arms was something he could easily get addicted to.

Something he could come to need again. And again.

“I mean it, Li. You’re so damn beautiful.” He fisted his hand in his hair as he covered his mouth with his. He nipped at his bottom lip, unable to resist that plump, succulent flesh. Then he went deep, ravaging the sweet, moist well that lay within, all the while fighting for control. But it wasn’t easy. Explicit images were firing through his brain, pushing him…daring him to take what he wanted. What the savage predator prowling within his body demanded.

_ Want it, _ the animal snarled.  _ Need it. Now. _

Shoving himself against his stomach,  _ hard _ , Theo struggled to stay in control…while doing his best to calculate how quickly he could get them back to the room, where they could finish what they’d started. As the last tremors of his orgasm slowly fluttered around his fingers, he pulled his other hand from his hair, ready to sweep him up into his arms and run for the room, when an eerie chill swept over his back. Reacting instantly to the possible threat of danger, Theo quickly pulled his hand from his jeans, a deep, guttural snarl on his lips as he spun around, both the animal and man ready to launch an attack and protect him with his body. With his life.

But there was nothing there.

“What is it?” he whispered from behind him, the rustling sounds telling him that he was buttoning her jeans. “The Beasts?”

“I don’t think so.” Soft. Savage. The huskily spoken words were almost silent as he took a step toward the woods, his eyes narrowed on the thick line of trees. He couldn’t see what was there, but he could smell the rank stench of its rotting flesh. Knowing something bad was about to happen, Theo started to order Liam to run - but he was already too late. Before the first word had even left his mouth, a powerful blow to his chest threw him backward, the heavy weight of his body slamming him against the side of the truck. His assailant was nothing more than a pale blur as it flew through the air, moving with lightning speed, impossible to follow. Within seconds he was hit with a rapid sequence of strikes, the blows slamming into his stomach and chest, and he spun around, leaving his back exposed to the attack so that he could shove Liam away from him. He stumbled, but quickly righted himself, turning to stare with wide, terrified eyes.

“Run!” he roared, growling as claws scraped along his right side.

He shook his head, strands of hair flying around his pale face. “No way. I’m not leaving you!”

“Get the hell out of here!” He shouted the warning as he whipped around, determined to take out whatever was after them before the foolish human got himself killed. The air ahead of him blurred, as if something moving at high speed was coming at him again, and then a lethal set of claws slashed across the top of his right thigh, ripping through the denim and flesh, cutting all the way down to the bone. He snarled, lashing out with a hard side kick that should have knocked whatever was attacking him on its ass, but his foot went right through it. Wondering what the hell he was up against, Theo tried to punch the thing as it sped past, but it was like shoving his fist through a thick, sticky mist.

The air filled with a high, demonic sound of laughter, and then something began to take shape about five feet in front of him, hovering just above the ground, the figure hazy…but visible, as if the creature were pulling itself into a tangible form. It stood as tall as Theo, with pale white skin like a cadaver, every inch of its skeletal form covered with what appeared to be vicious bite marks, chunks of skin actually missing in some places, though the wounds no longer bled. Its head was smooth, hairless, with only two small horns protruding from its temples, its eyes burning within its white face like two gleaming yellow orbs, its mouth filled with sharp, jagged fangs.

Leaning its head back, it sniffed at the morning air. “You don’t smell as good as a Finch, but you’ll do, chimera. You’ll do.”

A Finch? They were one of the ancient clans that had been hunted nearly to extinction by a rival clan known as the Blake. Theo had come into contact with a few Blakes over the years, but he knew they didn’t look like this son of a bitch. And yet he could see traces of the Blake’s characteristics in the creature’s grisly face. Pointed ears. Long nose. Deeply dimpled chin.

His fingers itched with the impulse to release his lethal claws, but he held back, unsure how Liam would react.

_ Stupid to worry about it. He’s going to see you go “animal” sooner or later. Might as well be now. _

Popping his jaw, he flexed his fingers at his sides, his eyes narrowed as he searched for its weakness…a way he could take it apart. Just off to its right, he spotted Liam creeping up behind it, a fallen tree limb that the wind had blown into the parking lot clutched tight in his grasp. Fury welled within him like a volcanic blast, mixing dangerously with his fear for his safety, the thunderous roar of his heart banging inside his head. He thought he was sneaking up on the creature, but Theo could tell from the look in its yellow eyes that it knew he was there.

“Goddamn it, I said to get your ass out of here!” he snarled, but the bastard was already whipping toward him, cracking him against the side of his head with the flat of its palm. He hit the ground hard, going down on his side, and Theo exploded with rage, his claws instantly spearing through the tips of his fingers as he charged. But it was on the move again, rushing through the air like a bullet, nearly impossible to track.

Groaning, Liam managed to get himself up on his hands and knees. Theo made a move toward him, but the thing cut him off, hovering in front of him like a spectre. It hit him with a backhanded smack that snapped his head to the side, busting his lip, then kicked him dead centre in his chest again, knocking him back on his ass. “I shouldn’t be here,” it hissed in a soft, lisping voice as it floated close to his face, its rank breath making him gag. “Not strong enough yet to do what needs to be done. But I just wanted to get close. See for myself what the Pack is like now.”

“Why me?” he snarled, hoping that if he could keep its attention focused on him, then Liam would wise up and finally get himself out of there.

“I’ve been looking for you. Looking and looking and looking,” it sang in that eerie voice that made chills break out over his skin. “See, I’ve been assigned to your breed. Which means that you and I are going to have a little fun together.”

“I doubt that.” Theo gave it a mocking smile. “I make it a point not to screw around with things that smell like you.”

Hatred hardened its expression, its yellow eyes slitting like a serpent’s. “You think you know so much, but you know nothing. Nothing at all about what’s going to happen to you.”

“Yeah?” He slowly moved to his feet. “Then explain it to me. I’m dying of curiosity over here.”

It licked its lips, snickering softly under its breath. “Be careful, chimera. You know what they say about how curiosity killed the cat.”

“I’m willing to take my chances,” he muttered, waiting for the moment to strike, the creature growing more solid with each second that passed. Aware of Liam now standing a few feet behind him, Theo accepted the fact that he obviously wasn’t going to run so long as he thought he was in danger. His only hope was to attack while the thing was in this semi solid form, and hope that he was able to hurt it.

_ Just a little more _ , he thought, flexing his long, razor-sharp claws at his sides, his muscles coiling for action.  _ A little more… _

Launching his assault, Theo burst forward, his right arm swinging in a wide arc that tore his claws across the creature’s white stomach, drawing a spray of slick black ooze that seemed too thick to be blood, the noxious odour burning his nose. Its clawed hands pressed against the wound as it stumbled back, and Theo was able to get in another strike across its pale chest before it levitated, settling onto one of the high branches of an ancient oak tree. Craning his neck, he watched with a raw, deadly rage as it curled its long body in on itself, a low, mewling sound scraping from its throat. Then, without warning, it shot from the branch, heading straight toward him.

Theo braced his feet for the blow. He didn’t dare move, unwilling to take the risk that he might draw its attention back to Liam. He flexed his claws again, planning to go for its throat the moment it struck, when Nolan suddenly came out of nowhere and slammed into its side, taking it to the ground. It screeched like a wet cat as they tumbled across the gritty asphalt. Nolan came out on top, pinning it beneath his body as the twin knives he always carried slashed toward its abdomen and chest. The human held the blades in his clenched fists, with his thumbs at the end of the hilts, slicing from one side to the other—though he had no better luck than Theo in killing the thing. It snarled, then smashed its fist upward, punching Nolan’s head back with a sharp crack to the jaw, stunning him. The next hit caught Nolan in the chest, the blow so powerful it sent him flying through the air, until he crashed against the side of a nearby minivan, one of his knives skidding across the pavement.

From the corner of his eye Theo could see Brett cautiously approaching between two parked cars. The wolf took hold of Liam’s arm, jerking him behind the shelter of his body, while he clutched a pale-faced Tori in his arms, the Marker still hanging around her neck, glinting in the morning sunlight.

As if sensing the focus of Theo’s attention, the creature turned its pale head toward the group. At first, it curled its lip, snarling at Brett as he slowly backed away, but then it went silent, its eyes widening as it caught sight of the ornate pike. But it didn’t make a move to go toward it…or them. Instead, it cocked its head a little to the side, a sickening smile curling across the thin line of its mouth as it stared with a dazzled absorption. With its attention distracted by the Marker, Theo retracted his claws, pulled his gun from behind his back and fired off a head shot just as a semi out on the highway conveniently blared its horn, covering the blast.

The bullet ripped straight into the creature’s temple.

But it still didn’t go down.

Instead, it slowly turned its head, its yellow eyes burning with hatred. It started toward him again, this time in a slow, weaving glide, more of that black liquid oozing from its temple, dripping like a dark river down its mutilated, cadaverous skin. “Get them out of here!” he roared at Brett, while Nolan staggered to

his side, ready to help him, though Theo feared they were fighting a losing battle. No matter what they did, the son of a bitch just kept on coming. And it was only by the grace of God that no other hotel guests had wandered into the back parking lot during the fight. A fact he was all too aware could change at any moment.

“I’ll try to get hold of it, then you go for its throat,” he rasped, thinking that maybe between the two of them they could manage to decapitate the thing, and possibly even kill it. Nolan nodded, his expression one of grim determination that Theo knew matched his own.

“Get ready,” he muttered, tucking his gun behind his back to free up his hands, a murderous glint in the creature’s yellow eyes as it drew closer…closer. Then the loud revving of motorcycle engines stopped the thing in its tracks as two bikes pulled around the side of the hotel. Hissing, the creature whirled into the woods, hovering just inside the shadow of the trees. Three more bikes followed the first two, all of them gathering at the other end of the lot, and Theo had never been so happy to see a group of humans in his life.

“Too weak to take on all of you,” it seethed, pulling farther into the shadows. “But not for long. I’ll be back…and next time I won’t be alone. You’re going to have your hands full, chimera.”

Theo shot it a cocky smile. “Keep ’em coming.”

“Oh, we will. Thanks to you and your friends.” Then it was gone as quickly as it had come, the air clearing of its rank stench as the wind swept through the parking lot.

Scraping his bloodied fingers through his hair, Theo surveyed the damage. Nolan was rubbing his right shoulder, a grimace twisting his features, though Theo could tell he wasn’t seriously injured. Just banged up, and no doubt bruised as hell. Jerking his chin toward the human, he thanked him for his help.

Nolan reached down for his other knife, grunting, “Any time.”

“Okay. Anyone else weirded out by Mr. Creepy, or is it just me?” Brett muttered, moving to join them, Tori’s arms still wound tightly around his neck.

Not trusting himself to look at Liam without bending him over his knee for refusing to listen to a single word that he’d said, Theo kept his gaze on his fellow Pack member. “I think it was a Blake. Or at least it used to be.”

“I thought they’d all but died out.”

“Yeah, well, that thing smelled like it’s been dead for a while now,” Nolan offered with a gritty laugh.

Brett’s odd-coloured eyes darkened as he stared into the woods. “Do you think this was what Isaac was talking about when he told us to be ready?”

“With our luck? I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“What do you think that ‘thanks to you and your friends’ was about?” Nolan asked.

Theo shrugged, his voice tight with frustration. “I guess it could have been nonsense, considering that thing seemed whacked out of its skull. But my gut tells me that it was trying to tell us something.”

“Did it make a go for Liam?” This question came from Brett, his arms still wrapped around Tori in a strong, protective hold.

“I don’t think it was here for either of them.” His mouth was still bleeding from one of the hits he’d taken, and he turned his head, spitting out a mouthful of blood that joined the small, dark pool collecting beneath his right leg. Though he could feel the wound already beginning to heal, it still hurt like a bitch, and he knew he’d have to bind it before they headed out. Looking back at Brett, he added, “It only seemed interested in coming after me.”

“I’d feel a hell of a lot better if we knew what it was.” Nolan wiped the back of his wrist over his own battered mouth. “And what it was after.”

“Did you see the way it looked at the Marker?” Liam asked, speaking up for the first time since the creature had disappeared. “It knew what it was.”

“And it didn’t look afraid of it,” Brett murmured. “Its look was almost greedy. As if it wanted it.”

“But it didn’t even try to take it,” he pointed out, and Theo couldn’t resist looking at him any longer. He had one hand raised, stroking Tori’s back in a soothing rhythm, his big eyes staring right back at him, filled with concern. He could tell from his expression that he expected him to be furious with him. And he was. But even more than that, he was nearly staggered by his relief that he was okay…that he hadn’t been hurt by that psychotic asshole.

He cleared his throat. Shoved his hands into his pockets. Fought to make sense of the strange warmth in his chest as their gazes held. “What brought you guys out here anyway?” he asked, finally tearing away from those blue eyes as he looked toward Brett again.

“We got a call from Lydia saying you were in trouble,” the wolf explained, the corner of Brett’s mouth kicking up in a smart-ass grin. “I was worried we’d be breaking up something hot and heavy, but she was right. You were getting your ass kicked.”

Theo ignored the taunt, more interested in how Lydia had known he needed help. “She hear from the source?” he asked, his look warning Brett not to say anything about Allison. Last thing in the world he wanted to do was upset Tori right now, her little face still buried in Brett’s shoulder.

Brett nodded, all traces of humour vanishing from his expression, the look in his eyes warning Theo that he wasn’t going to like the answer. “Yeah, she heard from her.”

“And?” he bit out, the single word thick with frustration as well as dread. “What did she say?”

“Death.” The low word echoed in his ears, and he looked toward Liam, holding his terrified gaze as the wolf continued. “That was the message, Theo. According to the source, Death was coming.”


	10. Chapter 10

_ Indiana _

_ Saturday afternoon _

“Do you have them yet?”

Closing his eyes, Deucalion leaned back in the driver’s seat of his parked Jeep, his thick fingers clenching around the cell phone jammed against his ear. Despite his tension, his mouth curled in a slow smile while he fantasised about how good it would feel to rip Harris’ heart from his chest, squeezing it in his fist like a sun-ripened peach. Though he’d always believed that it paid to be loyal to those who ruled, he was beginning to have his doubts. Wasn’t Harris’ irritating presence in this world proof that some orders were better left ignored? He’d killed his Hale, and had pulled Adrian across, just as Marcel had told him to do—but now he wished he’d listened to the little voice in his head instead. The one that had warned him he was going to be sorry.

“I don’t have all day, Deucalion. What the hell have you found?”

“Nothing yet,” he muttered, tuning out the sounds of the bustling strip mall where they’d stopped for lunch. The Dreads travelling with him had gone inside one of the fast-food restaurants - their vampire halves requiring them to take regular meals, as well as the occasional blood feeding - while Deucalion waited in his car at the far edge of the parking lot, having claimed he wasn’t hungry. “We’ve been one step behind them all afternoon,” he went on to say, “but they’re not stupid. They made a strange turn near Indianapolis and we lost them.”

Silence settled heavily over the line, then Harris slowly exhaled. “How unfortunate.”

Working his jaw, Deucalion focused on the way the sunlight burned colours through his lowered eyelids, bright splashes of crimson and orange and yellow, doing his best to control his temper. “These Dreads are useless at tracking the human’s scent. And the child’s Hale signal is almost too faint to follow. If you sent me some Beasts, it would improve our chances of staying on their trail.”

Harris’ tone was dry. “That would be easier to do if you hadn’t allowed the shifters to send half our unit back to Eichen. And that’s after the heavy losses we suffered in Washington, thanks to your incompetence.”

Frustration prickled beneath Deucalion’s skin, making him sweat despite the chill in the air. He wanted to argue, but what could he say? He was to blame for Ennis’ escape, damn it. Marcel had sent him to Washington to help track him down, but when he’d found him, he hadn’t made the kill or even taken the Beast into custody. Like an idiot, Deucalion had hoped to appeal to the guy’s sense of reason, but unfortunately, Ennis didn’t have any. The bastard had gone after Laura Hale anyway, and Deucalion had been left looking like an asshole.

Yeah, he knew he’d screwed up. But that didn’t mean he was going to sit there and take this crap from a prick like Harris. “Look, you got anything important to say? ’Cause I gotta go.”

“Actually, I have news from Marcel.”

At the mention of the Dread’s name, the man’s image filled Deucalion’s mind, making him shake his head. It still amazed him that Marcel had managed to pass for human when he’d first approached the Collective Generals. If you knew what you were looking for, it was easy to recognize a Dread. But then, that was the problem. Very few knew what to look for…and those who did seldom revealed the secret. “And?” he muttered, his impatience getting the better of him when Harris fell silent again.

“And it seems that you’re going to have some company.”

Opening his eyes, Deucalion glared at the sliver of pale grey sky visible through the Jeep’s sunroof. “What kind of company?”

“Nothing that should interfere with your hunt. But you’ll want to be careful all the same. It looks as if our suspicions about the Markers have proven true.”

His eyes went wide with shock. “Are you telling me that the Darachs are here?”

“We haven’t made contact yet, but Marcel has men working on it. Just hurry up and get your hands on the girl. They seem to be targeting the Pack, which works into our plans perfectly. If our newest intel is correct, they’ve already taken one shifter down in Russia, and another’s been killed in New Zealand. They’ve shown no signs of going for the Hale or the Markers, but if for some reason that were to change, you’ll be expected to deal with them.”

Deucalion snorted. “Yeah? And exactly how am I supposed to do that?”

“You’ve got a half-decent brain on you. Or at least that’s what Douglas keeps claiming. Let’s see if you can figure it out for yourself.”

_ Bastard _ , he thought. And in that moment, his vision of squeezing Harris’ heart in his fist morphed into something much darker…and far more satisfying. In his Beast form, Deucalion would have the power to shove his muzzle right into the prick’s chest and eat his heart out with a single snap of his jaws.

Only problem was, he didn’t like the taste of self-righteous jackass.

Without bothering to say goodbye or any of the other snarled phrases burning on the tip of his tongue, Deucalion pulled the phone away from his ear and jammed his thumb down on the end button. Cursing under his breath, he tossed the phone into the passenger seat, then rested his hand on his churning stomach, his skin covered in a clammy film of sweat.

Had he honestly claimed he wasn’t hungry? Christ, he was so empty inside he could barely see straight. In truth, he was starved, the need to take a proper feeding burning through his veins like acid, stripping him raw. But he knew better than to allow himself to fall the way Ennis had done.

If he could just hold strong, Douglas had promised them that the feeding restrictions would be lifted once the flood came. Only then would they be free to do as they pleased, living like gods in this world. But if he gave in, he’d become a slave to the hunger too soon, and before he knew it, someone would be tracking him down with orders to send him back to the pit.

He couldn’t let that happen. Would rather waste away to nothing before he found himself rotting away in the stench of Eichen again.

Still, his gut ached with a hollow, grinding pain, and he gnashed his teeth. Though Deucalion had made his share of animal kills since his release, it simply wasn’t the same. Like comparing water to the most succulent wine, animals didn’t have the kick that came with devouring human flesh. His hands curled into fists as he thought of the moment when Harris had devoured the girl. Deucalion’s own body shook as the visceral, intoxicating images flooded his mind. Her smooth, pale skin bathed in silver moonlight. The heady, delectable scent of her blood. The dazzling beauty of her fear. Losing control, his fangs slipped heavily from his gums just as his claws began to pierce the tips of his fingers, lacerating the palms of his fisted hands. The scent of fresh blood drifted to his nose, and he knew what he was going to have to do. Again. His weakness disgusted him, but there was no other choice.

_ Just once more _ , he thought, uncurling his clenched fists.  _ Once more, and then you’ll be back in control. _

Undoing the cuff at the end of his sleeve, he saw that his hands continued to shake as he rolled back the dark cotton, slowly revealing his bandaged forearm. Beads of sweat slipped from his shaved head, sliding down the sides of his face. His mouth watered with anticipation.

Deucalion began to unwrap the stained bandages with slow, methodical precision.

“Once more,” he chanted beneath his breath. “Just once…”

As if drawn by an invisible wire, his gaze rose to the photograph of Liam Dunbar that he’d attached to the sun visor. His blue eyes stared right back at him, into him, causing his pulse to pick up speed, his heart banging violently against his ribs. He shifted restlessly in his seat. He was breathtaking, really. And that scent, mouthwatering. It filled the Jeep, emanating from the sweater he’d stolen from his home back in Lennox, the sweater now draped over the back of the passenger seat.

His eyes began to burn, but he refused to blink. He couldn’t, held transfixed by the blue eyes watching him. They tempted him to do the unthinkable. To hunt him down and take what he so desperately needed, truly satisfying the hunger ripping his insides to shreds.

“Too dangerous,” he whispered, shaking so hard that his teeth chattered.

Keeping his gaze focused on the image of his face, he reached down, grasping the lever for the seat, and pressed back until he was nearly lying down, low enough that he wouldn’t be seen by anyone who happened to walk near the car. Not that he wouldn’t hear their approach well before they could see anything. He was safe from view there. Safe to do as he pleased.

Still, he waited, letting the anticipation build. 

A breathless cry trembled on his wet lips…and he broke. Lifting his arm to his mouth, Deucalion finally sank his fangs deep, biting through muscle and sinew. So good…so hot…

As the warm blood flowed over his tongue, his mind filled with an image of Liam Dunbar screaming with terror. Closing his eyes, Deucalion embraced the image, letting it bloom, the fantasy spreading like a drug through his veins. He drank deep, going light-headed as the dark spill of pleasure grew stronger, fired by the fantasy, until he finally threw back his head, his mouth opened wide for a harsh, primal roar.

It seemed forever that his lungs jerked for air, the inside of the Jeep smelling of sweat and blood. Cracking his eyelids, he struggled to focus his swimming vision on the photograph, his muscles twitching. He cringed at the thought of what the others would say if they ever learned what he’d done, feeding from his own flesh in a pathetic moment of weakness. But what choice did he have? If he fed the hunger the way Harris had done, there could be consequences.

No, it would be madness to take such a dangerous risk.

He could be strong, damn it. He could fight it.

But he reached up, grasping the photograph in his bloodied fingers, and brought it closer, studying the shape of his mouth. His eyes. The silken chocolate of his hair.

_ Beautiful. _

He drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his scent filling his head, and felt a sudden mental snap popping inside his mind. Another snap followed…and then another, like firecrackers bursting behind his eyes, the echoes ricocheting through his skull.

As the tension eased from his muscles, Deucalion was vaguely aware of what was happening, the strained bands of his will finally giving way like stressed elastic. As they continued to break, a slow, easy smile curled across his damp mouth, the inevitability of what was to come freeing him from his torment. No more resistance. No more fighting against what would be.

His thumb caressed the photograph, stroking the human’s cheek, his name lingering on his blood-covered lips like a vow.

Or a promise of something to come.


	11. Chapter 11

_ Saturday, 5:00 p.m. _

Returning his cell phone to its case, Theo quietly opened the driver’s door of his truck and climbed into the cab, easing back behind the wheel. They’d been driving all day, almost nonstop - except for the occasional need for a bathroom or fuel - and had finally pulled into the parking lot of a McDonald’s for some food. Brett and Nolan, who were driving Liam’s car, had run inside to order, while Theo used the time to make a few phone calls. He’d stood outside the truck as he talked, not wanting to wake Liam and Tori, who had managed to nod off an hour ago. He envied them the peaceful moments of oblivion, considering what the day had been like.

After dropping the “Death” bomb on them that morning, Brett had quickly reverted back to his typical smart-ass sense of humour. “Not that I want to sound like a wuss or anything, but why do we always get the nasties coming after us? I mean, why couldn’t it be something fun, like a flock of rabid nymphs? Death just sounds like such a downer,” the wolf had drawled, prompting Tori to lift her head and ask what a nymph was. Liam had smothered a laugh under his breath, then taken the little girl into his arms and told her that they were mythological creatures who could turn into trees. Tori had cast a curious look toward Brett, as if wondering why he’d want an entire flock of them. But she hadn’t asked. She’d simply fallen silent again, just watching them all with her big brown eyes, retreating back into her own little world, as she had after the fight with the Beasts.

Shaking his head, Theo wondered what they’d have to face next. First the Beasts. Then the crazy-assed freak from that morning. He honestly hadn’t thought their situation could get any worse, but it had. As if having one group of monsters after them wasn’t bad enough, they now had to be on the lookout for that foul-smelling thing to return…with more of its kind. He’d been on edge every second of the day, eyeing the other cars on the road, trying to make sure they weren’t being followed. But there was only so much he could do. Though they’d had the odd rain shower, which would help slow anyone tracking Liam’s scent, they still didn’t know if the Beasts were able to track Tori’s Hale blood.

In fact, it seemed as if they were still gathering a lot more questions than answers.

And the clock was ticking.

Tilting his head back, Theo rested it against the seat, while his mind wandered onto the long list of questions Liam had fired his way throughout the day, increasing the tension of the drive. Not that he didn’t enjoy being near him, because he did. More than was wise. But their conversations hadn’t been light…or easy. He’d plied him with questions about what had happened in the parking lot, though there wasn’t much he could tell him. He didn’t know what that thing had been or what it wanted from him…or why Allison had referred to it as “Death.” He’d also asked about Nolan, wondering where he’d learned to fight the way he had, handling knives like some kind of martial arts guru. In that at least Theo had been able to give him some answers, explaining a little about Nolan’s rather unconventional upbringing, though he was careful not to reveal too much. He trusted Nolan, and he didn’t want that to change.

_ And face it, man. You want him to trust you, too. _

Surprised, he ran the unspoken, unfamiliar words over his tongue, studying their flavour. Something pulled tight in his chest, and he lifted his hand, rubbing at the odd ache burning just behind his sternum.

Though he’d have loved to deny it, the words were true. Despite knowing it was an asinine, doomed-to-fail kind of idea, he really did want Liam to trust him. Not just to keep him safe or to protect him, but…well, in all ways. All the ones that mattered between two people.

_ Fool. Idiot. Jackass. _

Ignoring the irritating chorus of voices, he shifted in his seat, positioning his body so that he could simply watch him like some kind of lovesick lapdog. The idea made Theo’s lip curl, but he didn’t turn away. He couldn’t, too riveted by the sight of him. The passenger seat had been lowered a little, and he lay on his side, facing him, his cheek resting on his hands. He enjoyed the unguarded moment that allowed him to simply stare, soaking in the little details that he found so fascinating. The graceful shape of his brows. The thickness of his lashes. The fullness of his bottom lip and the curve of his cheek, now dark with stubble.

“Theo,” he whispered, and for a moment he thought he was talking to him. He’d already started to respond when he lifted his gaze from his mouth and found his eyes still closed, his lids twitching. Obviously dreaming, he moaned, whispering his name again, and his breath got all jammed up in his throat, his heart damn near beating its way out of his chest.

He was talking in his sleep.

And he was talking about him.

Scrubbing his hands down his face, Theo choked back the thick animal sound that tried to crawl its way out of him. He was so jacked up after touching him that morning, he felt as if he could go off at the slightest provocation. And hearing him moan his name in his sleep was provocative as hell. The animal in him wanted to scoop him up and run for the trees that lined the back of the parking lot, where it could have him to itself. Strip him, take him to the ground and go all wolf on him. Place its scratchy tongue against the downy softness of his skin. Lick him from head to toe, lingering on all his sweet spots.

Come to think of it, the man in him thought it sounded like a hell of a plan, as well.

_ Like he’d let you _ , a bitter voice suddenly muttered inside his head, jarring him out of his fantasy.  _ Think about it. Who said he was dreaming anything “nice” about you? _

Scowling, Theo narrowed his eyes. He studied his expression, searching for clues. He looked flushed, turned on, but who knew? After what he’d seen that morning, maybe he’d become his worst nightmare. Maybe he was just projecting his own desperate fantasies onto him. Maybe all he wanted was to get away from him. Ditch his ass and never set eyes on him again.

A loud, furious roar filled his head, and he winced, grimacing from the pain. Ouch. Obviously the beast wasn’t any happier with that idea than he was.

Under the watchful intensity of his gaze, he shifted, restless, his lips parting. Theo felt himself drawn forward, poised on a sharp edge of anticipation as he waited to see what he would say next.

A second passed. His muscles coiled, tension drawing him tight…tighter.

Another second. He held his breath.

He sighed, his lips moving as he started to say-

_ Tap…tap…tap. _

The quiet rapping of knuckles against the window at his back caught him completely off guard. Startled, Theo lurched in his seat, smacking his head on the roof of the truck. What the…? Feeling like an idiot, he slid a cautious glance toward Liam, thankful to see that he was still sleeping.

Unfortunately, the low rumble of laughter coming from outside the truck told him that Brett and Nolan had thought it was funny as hell. Whipping around, he gave a soft growl at the sight of Brett bent forward, one hand clutched around two large bags of food, the other crossed over his stomach, as if he had to hold himself together. Nolan stood beside the laughing werewolf, his broad shoulders shaking with humour as well, while he balanced two trays of supersized drinks in his hands.

Reminding himself that it wasn’t going to help his case with Liam if he caught him clobbering his friends, Theo climbed out of the truck, quietly shut the door behind him, then shoved his hands into his pockets, where they couldn’t get him into trouble. He scowled at Brett’s good-natured ribbing, their laughter dying away as he brought them up to speed, relaying what he’d learned from his calls. They decided they would go ahead and set out again, eating as they drove, and after handing over a bag of food, as well as a tray of drinks, Brett and Nolan headed back to Li’s compact.

Balancing the bag under one arm, Theo opened the truck door and found Liam sitting up in his seat, rubbing his eyes. He gave him a soft smile as he handed everything over, then climbed behind the wheel.

“What were you guys talking about?” he asked as he started the engine, reversed out of the parking space and followed Brett back out onto the highway. “The three of you looked tense. Did something happen while I was asleep?”

“I made a few calls when we stopped. Talked to Erica again-” he’d already talked to Erica Reyes, the Pack member who was now engaged to Cora Hale, earlier that morning, and asked her to inform everyone at the Preserve about the strange attack at the hotel “-then managed to get in touch with Isaac.”

“And?” he asked, pulling a Happy Meal for Tori out of the bag.

“It sounds like he could be on to something that might actually explain what went down this morning. Last night he was approached by a Walcott.” He slid him a curious look. “You heard of them before?”

“Vampires, right?”

“Yeah. It seems there was a Pack member killed in Russia a few days ago, the body drained completely of blood, which doesn’t mesh with a Beast feeding. When those bastards feed, they take as much flesh as they can.”

He flinched, and he suddenly realised what he’d said. Allison had been killed by a Beast, and here he was spouting his mouth off. Christ, he couldn’t have been more callous if he’d tried. “Damn, I’m sorry, Li. I, uh, wasn’t thinking.”

He nodded, took a deep breath, then moved the conversation along. “If not a Beast who killed them, then what?”

“That’s the thing. We don’t know.” He hit his signal to change lanes, pushing the speed limit as far as he dared. “Rumours are going around that it was a Walcott kill, but the vamp who approached Isaac denied it. Said they want to make a deal with us. Trade information about some new threat to the Pack in exchange for Marcel.”

“He’s the one who’s working to bring back the Beasts, right?”

“Yeah, that’s him.” Theo explained why the Walcotts wanted to get their hands on Marcel, as well as Isaac’s suspicion that the murder in Russia could be connected to that morning’s attack at the hotel. He also told him that another Pack murder had been reported in New Zealand, keeping the gory details to himself. While he talked, Liam listened as he woke Tori up from her nap and set about unpacking their food.

“So what exactly is Isaac doing in Prague anyway?” he asked, handing him his Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese.

With the burger in one hand, Theo steered with the other. “He’s still trying to convince the Consortium that the clans need to make a unified stand against the Beasts.”

Nibbling on his fries, he said, “Why does he want the Consortium involved?”

“Because an operation this size needs central leadership if it’s going to work. Isaac not only wants all the clans working together, but he wants a system set up that will allow the Markers to be shared among the different Pack units, who would then make sure they were available to any Hale who needed them.”

“But isn’t that dangerous?” he asked, taking a sip of his soda. “I mean, obviously the Hales need them in order to fight the Beasts, but what if the Markers fell into the wrong hands?”

“One already has,” he muttered, and quickly explained how Marcel had already gained possession of one pike, making the current tally, as far as they were aware, four to one. “In the beginning, we just wanted to hoard the pikes to keep them safe,” he went on, finishing the last of his fries. “But too many Hales started falling. It became clear, pretty quickly, that the only way to deal with this thing is to get the Markers out there in the field, where the Hales can use them.”

“And you have no idea how many Markers are still out there, waiting to be found?”

“Not yet. But Cora is starting to decipher the maps faster and faster, so hopefully we’ll have a count before too long.” Nodding toward his soda, which he was trying to balance between his knees while he ate his food, he said, “If you open up the glove box you can sit your drink in the cup holder.”

“Thanks.” He popped the glove box open, then immediately slid him a startled, wide-eyed look. Taking another bite of his burger, Theo hoped he’d remembered to move the stash of condoms he usually kept in there.

“Something wrong?” he asked after he’d swallowed the bite.

He tilted his head toward the open glove box. “Did you know you have a bunch of wooden stakes in here?”

He laughed under his breath, feeling as if he’d just dodged a bullet. “You remember the Dreads I told you about?” he asked, relieved to be talking about weapons instead of his sex life. “Well, the only way to kill them is to stake them through the heart with wood.”

He gave a soft snort. “You’re kidding.”

Theo flashed him a wry grin. “I wish I was.”

“How…gross.”

“It isn’t pretty, I’ll give you that.” He wadded up the wrapper from his burger, cleared his throat and forced himself to say, “And, uh, speaking of other things that aren’t pretty, I’m sorry about earlier.” He’d been too chicken to bring it up until now, but knew it needed to be said.

“What do you mean?” he asked, opening the bag for him to toss his wrapper into.

Heat crawled its way up his chest. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“That?” His voice held a quiet note of confusion, his attention on Tori as he twisted around to check on her.

“The way my claws released during the fight,” he grunted, forcing the words from his tight throat.

He could feel his surprise as he swung his gaze back to him, staring at his profile. “Don’t be ridiculous, Theo. You were fighting to protect me. There’s nothing to apologise for.”

He raked his hair back from his face, a restless energy thrumming beneath his skin. “Yeah, you see…I, uh, I just don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

“Don’t worry.” Another snort. “It’ll take more than some fancy claws to scare me off.”

His chest vibrated with a deep, gritty bark of laughter as relief flooded his system, easing his tension, making him feel mellow for the first time since the attack. Reaching down, he turned the radio on low, then jerked his chin toward the backseat. “Since we’re on the topic, have you told her what I am?”

He spoke quietly enough that Tori wouldn’t overhear. “She knows you’re a shifter, but not what kind. And in case you’ve forgotten, you still haven’t told me what kind, either.”

“Curious?” he murmured, sliding him a quick grin, a strange feeling of lightness in his chest now, as if he’d swallowed a balloon.

His gaze slid away. “After seeing you this morning, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

He looked…nervous, and his easiness began to fade. “I would never hurt you, Li.”

“I know that. It was just…you were one serious badass, Theo. Even when trying to fight something that was more mist than substance. It’s just that…well, I wish I could be like that.” He lifted his gaze, giving him another one of those soft, tender smiles. “Tori deserves a champion like you to look after her.”

“And what about you?”

“Me?” More nerves were revealed in that single shaky word. Or maybe shyness. Either way, it was clear he didn’t like being the focus of the conversation, but he wasn’t going to let it drop.

“What do you deserve, Liam?”

“I don’t understand,” he hedged, busying himself with cleaning up the rest of their trash.

“Yeah, you do.” Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached out and caught his chin, pulling his face back around. A glance revealed rosy splotches on his cheeks, burning beneath the pale skin. If he hadn’t been driving, Theo knew he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from leaning over and touching his lips to those bright patches, tasting the heat of his blush. “Come on, Liam. Talk to me.”

“All done!” Tori’s little voice suddenly called out from the backseat, breaking the spell. “That was yummy!”

“Saved by the munchkin,” he drawled, pulling his hand back from his face. Liam shook his head in one of those I-need-to-collect-my-wits kind of moves, then turned to collect Tori’s wrappers.

“Can we play a game?” Tori asked, and after turning off the radio, Theo quickly found himself joining in a game of “I Spy.” Afterward, Li and Tori sang silly songs that had him laughing out loud, while inside his freaking head was spinning. He didn’t know who this man was, driving the truck down the highway, enjoying the company of a human and a little girl, as if they were his to enjoy. As if they belonged to him.

As if they were one big happy family.

He should have been going out of his skull—but the truth was that he couldn’t get enough of it. Was eating up each moment like a fly with honey.

When Tori decided she’d had enough of the games and songs, Li set her up with the iPod again to watch another Disney movie, and Theo reached down to turn the radio back on. He scanned the channels until he found a classic rock station playing Van Morrison, then set the volume low enough that they could still talk.

“God, I shouldn’t have eaten all that,” Liam groaned, nudging the McDonald’s bag with the toe of his shoe. “Every single one of those calories is headed straight for my backside.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “I’ll never understand why people worry about their bodies like they do. I prefer someone with a little meat on their bones.”

“I have more than a little,” he snickered.

Theo slid him a crooked smile. “You’re damn near scrawny, Li.”

“Yeah? Well, you obviously need glasses, Theo.”

“Perfect eyesight, actually,” he shot back, enjoying their easy banter. “Better than a human’s.”

“Then you know damn well that I’m…plump.” His voice was light, and yet there was something edging the words that caught his attention. Made him wonder if some jackass had actually said something to give him a complex about his weight.

“In some places, yeah,” he grunted, his fingers flexing around the wheel as he thought about how good it would feel to wring said jackass’s neck. “The right ones.”

He covered his mouth with his hand as if to hold back the soft spill of his laughter. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Face it, Li. You’re tiny compared to me,” he offered with a shrug, dragging his heavy-lidded gaze down his body for a quick once-over before looking back at the road. Another light rain began to fall, the sky darkening with thick, swollen clouds.

“Anyone is tiny compared to you,” he said dryly, rolling his eyes. “Your mother must have had a heck of a time keeping you in clothes when you were a kid.”

The M word hit him low in the gut, his stomach going sour at the thought of the woman who’d birthed him, while a familiar burn of rage swept through his system. He locked his jaw. Kept his gaze glued to the road, taking slow, easy breaths as he watched the streams of rain meander their way in jagged lines across the windshield.

“Did I, uh, say something wrong?” he murmured.

“Nah.” He rolled his shoulder. Shifted in the seat to get more comfortable. Chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking that he’d kill for a fucking cigarette. “I just don’t talk about my mother. Ever.”

He didn’t even realise he’d started to rub his right wrist, until he reached over and touched his fingertips to his skin, making him jump. The sensation slipped down his spine. Climbed back up with a surge of heat that struggled against the knot of cold still sitting in his gut like a lump of metal.

“When did you get these?” he asked, tracing the tip of his finger along one of the intricate designs. Though he knew he could feel the scar tissue that encircled his wrist, he didn’t say anything. Simply followed the patterns of his tattoos with that light, easy touch that was creating all kinds of havoc in his body.

Theo cleared his throat. Reached down and rearranged his dick to keep it from strangling. Fought to make sense of the strange emotions crawling through him, prickling beneath his skin. “I got the tatts when I was fourteen.”

“So young,” he said with a soft note of surprise, returning his hand to his lap. Part of him was relieved he was no longer touching the tattoos, while another part wanted to shout,  _ Put it back! Touch me again! _ The gentle press of his fingers had been so different from the way people normally touched him. There was no sexual intent in it. Just a tender, gentle caring that rattled something inside him loose. He didn’t know what it was, but could feel it banging around inside his chest, probably causing all kinds of damage. Not that he cared. “You were still just a kid.”

“Nah, I was old by then,” he muttered, pulling his hand down his face.

He could feel his unspoken questions blasting against him, crowding the inside of the truck, and he ground his jaw, wishing he wasn’t so screwed up inside. That he could be just a little bit closer to the “normal” that he wanted for his life.

“Are they protection spells?”

He barked a gruff burst of laughter. “Not likely.”

“Okay. What, then?”

For a moment he almost considered telling him what they were, then regained his hold on sanity and shoved the idiotic idea aside. No sense scaring him off any more than he already had. Or would. Sooner or later, he knew he was going to look at him as something that wasn’t good enough to wipe his feet on, much less to lie down with. He just hoped he’d have gotten his fill of him by the time it happened.

“Oh, my God,” he gasped, suddenly grabbing his arm.

“What? What is it?” A quick glance showed his wide-eyed gaze zeroed in on his thigh—the one that bastard had clawed open. His jeans were dark with wet, sticky blood, and he winced, hoping he wasn’t going to freak. He’d changed his clothes and bandaged the wound as best as he could with the first aid kit he carried in the truck, but it had obviously pulled open and bled through its wrapping.

“You were lying about how quickly it would heal,” he said unsteadily, settling that gaze on his face. “When I asked you this morning, you said you didn’t need stitches because it would close up in a few hours.”

When they’d headed back to the hotel room that morning and he’d stripped down to his boxers, he’d freaked when he’d seen his injured leg. He’d finally calmed him down by explaining that the wound was nothing…that it would heal quickly and he’d never even know it had been there. And by tomorrow that would be true. He’d just exaggerated a bit about how long it would take.

“You need to see a doctor, Theo.”

He shrugged. “Nah, it’ll be closed up soon. Trust me, Li - I’ve had worse.”

He crossed his arms, his quiet voice rough with tension as he said, “I still think we should get you some stitches. It’s ridiculous just to let it bleed like that. Not to mention the fact that you must be in pain.”

“Seriously, I’m okay,” he grunted, his stomach muscles knotted by the fact that he actually sounded as if he cared that he’d been hurt. As if it actually mattered to him. “I’ll pick up some more bandages before we stop tonight. But it’ll probably be healed by then, anyway. I doubt it’ll even leave a scar.”

Without any warning he reached out and touched his hand to one of the smooth scars that marred his wrists beneath the dark tatts. “If that’s true, then why didn’t these heal?”

“I was too young when they were made.”

“Someone hurt you when you were little?” Shock, as well as a healthy dose of outrage.

He shifted again. Rubbed his palm against the scratchy edge of his jaw. “Yeah, but they paid for it when I got bigger.”

“Paid for it how?” Soft words, little more than a whisper.

He cut him a dark look, arching his right brow. “How do you think?”

He didn’t flinch away from his look. Just stared right back at him, blue eyes wide and clear. “You killed them?”

“Christ. This isn’t good conversation material,” he muttered, reaching up to rub at the knotted muscles in the back of his neck. “Trust me.”

“So let me see if I’ve got this straight. You don’t talk about your mother. Don’t talk about your scars. And you don’t even talk about your tattoos. Is that right?”

“That’s about it.” He ground out the words.

“So I spill my secrets, but you get to keep yours?” He’d have had to be an idiot to miss the rising temper in his words. Not that he blamed him.

“You should thank me,” he rasped. “There are some things you don’t want to know.”

“Or maybe they’re just things you don’t want me to know.”

He nodded. “That, too.”

“Fine, but don’t expect me to keep spilling my guts to you. I—”

“Jesus,” he growled, cutting him off. “There’s no reason to get pissy. My past would probably bore you, Li, so think of it as me doing you a favour, okay?”

“Whatever, Theo.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, but he struggled to keep his voice calm. “I’m telling you, it’s no big deal.”

Clearly the human didn’t know when to give up, reminding him of a pit bull with a bone. “And I’m telling you that I know you’re lying.”

“Drop it,” he grunted, forcing the words through the clenched wall of his teeth.

“You know,” he said tightly, looking away as he wrapped his arms over his chest, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other on his rib cage. “You could try trusting me. But you won’t.”

A dark sound tore from his throat, thick with frustration.

Silence stretched out. Thick. Heavy. Punctuated only by the rhythmic slapping of the windshield wipers.

“Just tell me one thing,” he said, his voice muted.

“Christ, what?” He sighed, pulling his hand down his face again.

He turned his head so that he could look at him. “Did you kill them?”

Theo didn’t answer at first, but he could feel his gaze burning against the side of his face and knew he wasn’t going to let it go. “Every last one of them,” he finally admitted in a low voice, wishing he could get the visions out of his head. But they were a stain he couldn’t wash out. A blotch on his soul that he knew would always be there.

Not that he regretted the killings. But he couldn’t forget the way he’d done it. The sheer savagery of the act. Or the consequences that had followed.

He shivered, tightening his arms around his body. Theo had expected him to be disgusted by the revelation, or at least horrified by his ruthlessness, but as he turned his head to stare out the rain-spattered window, he could have sworn he whispered, “Good.”


	12. Chapter 12

_ Southern Illinois _

_ Saturday night _

Peeking around the corner of Theo’s bedroom door, Liam peered into the small hotel room, fully aware that he was making a mistake. After driving late into the evening, they’d finally stopped for the night and taken a family suite with two connecting bedrooms. Because Brett had his handmade alarms with him, Theo had agreed that he and Tori could have their own room. He’d taken the other one, leaving Brett and Nolan with the two sofa beds in the living room, though the men had agreed they’d take shifts pulling guard duty during the night, their level of caution elevated even higher after the events of the morning.

If he’d been smart, he would have been using the time to get some rest. God only knew when things were going to get crazy again. The Beasts could find them. Or another of those creepy things from that morning, and yet there he was, acting like a Peeping Tom. Liam had intended to simply knock and ask how he was feeling, but when he’d found the door ajar, he hadn’t been able to resist a look inside.

_ Hoping to catch a glimpse of something you shouldn’t…hmm? _

“Shut up,” he muttered under his breath, both bemused and irritated by the fact that he was talking to himself.

His gaze found him instantly, his tummy doing another one of those nervous little flips at the decadent sight he made. No matter how he looked at it, the odds were strong that this wasn’t a good idea. A stupid one, more than likely. But he didn’t care. He was all too aware of the terrifying fact that he could have died that morning. That he could have lost him. He needed to see with his own eyes that he was okay. That the injury to his leg wasn’t causing any lingering pain.

Needed simply to be near him, which told him just how much trouble he was really in.

He was lying diagonally across the bed, on his stomach, with nothing more than a small hotel towel wrapped around his lean hips, humming softly to himself. Since he faced away from the door, Liam couldn’t see his expression, just the back of his head and one side of his long, golden body. He’d showered, washing away the blood that must have covered his leg, and he shivered as he remembered his blood-soaked jeans, then immediately shoved the chilling image away.

No, he wouldn’t think of that now. Instead, he would give himself this moment to simply enjoy the eye-dazzling view. He started at one end of his mouth-watering body, moving his avid gaze over his long feet, up along the strong muscles of his legs, relieved to see that he hadn’t needed to re-bandage his thigh. From there, Liam followed the naked line of flesh up to the hem of the white cotton, then over the firm, towel-covered muscles of his backside until he reached the breathtaking expanse of his golden back. He had his right arm folded beneath his head, the tattooed fingers of his left hand moving smoothly against the snowy white of the top sheet.

A low hum of music drifted softly from his lips. Beautiful. Dark. Enthralling.

Before he could say anything to announce his presence, he drew in a deep breath, and his long fingers - fingers that had been inside his body just that morning - stilled, telling him that he’d scented his presence. His cheeks flushed as he rose to his elbows and turned his head, looking at him over his broad, gleaming shoulder, his long hair still damp from his shower.

At that moment Liam felt the same sense of danger that had come over him that morning when he’d pulled him out of the restaurant and into the hotel parking lot. He recalled flinching from the brightness of the sun. Recalled the feel of its heat against his skin.

And he recalled the way in which the reality of their situation had slammed back into him with stunning force. The fact that they were being hunted. That monsters were coming for them. That their lives were in danger. Run. Hide. Take cover, a chorus of voices had whispered through his mind.

He’d known it was wrong, but he’d ignored them and stayed there with him. Allowed him to kiss him. Touch him. Make him come.

And here he was again, flirting with danger. Literally. Liam knew he should turn around and leave, but for some reason, he did the opposite. Taking a shaky breath, he moved a little way into the room, standing just to the side of the partly opened door. “What were you doing just now?” he asked, his face no doubt burning with a ridiculous flood of colour. He didn’t know what he was doing, slipping into his room uninvited, invading his personal space. But he couldn’t make himself turn and leave, his muscles locked in place, his body holding him prisoner.

“I was just thinking about a piece of music I’ve been working on.” He gave a low, almost embarrassed laugh, his eyes heavy lidded…curious. Probably wondering what he wanted.

“For the piano?”

“Yeah.” He shifted, using his right hand to push the damp strands of his hair back from his face, the light catching against the dark bristles that covered his jaw and chin. “It helps me think. Even mellows me out.”

Studying his expression, Liam realised that he looked more relaxed now than he had when they’d stopped for the night. “Do you do that a lot?” he asked, leaning back against the wall. “Think about your music?”

“I guess I do,” he replied in a low drawl, and without fail the corner of his mouth kicked up in another of those sexy, crooked grins that he could never get enough of. That he was actually starting to crave. “Hell, there were times when I was younger that the music in my head was the only thing that kept me going.”

Liam wanted desperately to ask what he meant by the strange comment, to ask about his childhood, but bit back the intrusive questions, knowing he would refuse to give him any answers. That had been made painfully clear during their earlier conversation about his tattoos and his scars, as well as his mother. Instead, he was just going to have to glean every little bit that he revealed and try to piece together the story on his own.

The only problem was that he gave away so little.

Even though the shadows had left his eyes, it was still difficult to read his mood as he watched him from the bed, his dark body in sharp contrast against the bleached white linens. As the silence stretched out to an uncomfortable level, he started to edge back toward the door, ready to mumble something about letting him get some rest, when he said, “Where’s Tori?”

“Brett and Nolan are with her. In fact, I think they’ve been sucked into Hercules right along with her. All three of them, brainwashed by Disney,” he told him with a soft laugh. “We should get a picture. Blackmail them with it someday.”

Though it sounded as if it hurt, his own low burst of laughter rumbled up as he rolled onto his side. A cocky smile played at the corners of his mouth as he braced his upper body on his left elbow, the heavy slabs of his muscled chest the most drool-worthy sight he’d ever seen. “So what brings you in here, Li? You come to kiss me good-night?”

Blinking, he struggled to concentrate on his huskily spoken words, but it wasn’t easy. Not when that damn towel was barely hanging together around his lean hips. When so much of that hard, powerful body was just lounging there, begging to be ogled. The wounds on his arms and side were already pale lines of colour, barely visible in the soft glow of lamplight spreading out from the bedside table. His leg, however, was a different story. An angry-looking weal darkened his hair-dusted skin, but at least the cut was closed and no longer bleeding.

And it wasn’t as if the battle wounds detracted from his beauty. Call him a savage, but he thought he looked sexy as hell sporting the scratches and scars. He only hated the pain they’d caused, knowing they’d had to hurt when they were made, no matter how tough he was.

Clearing his throat, he gave himself a little shake and finally managed to say, “Actually, I just wanted to check that you were okay.”

“Yeah?” There was something beautifully animalistic about the way he slowly rolled to his back and pushed his way up the bed, until his upper body was braced against the mountain of pillows, his right leg bent a little at the knee. The towel gaped, revealing a dark, provocative shadow of pubic hair and his heavy testicles, as well as the impossibly broad base of his cock.

Liam’s mouth went dry, and although he knew damn well that he should look away…he couldn’t. And the arrogant bastard knew it, his voice a low, seductive rumble as he bent his right leg a little higher. “You should probably come closer if you’re going to do a thorough job,” he drawled in a low, wicked slide of words. He bent his left knee a little, then let his leg fall open, dropping to the bed, the entire length of his dark, massive erection suddenly on bold display. “You know, of making sure I’m alright and everything.”

He would have rolled his eyes if he could have looked away from the decadent sight, his mind boggling at the idea of taking something that size inside his body. It was both exciting…and more than a little worrying. “Obviously you’re fine,” he stammered, hating that his nerves betrayed him so easily.

His eyelids lowered to half-mast. “Have I told you yet how hot it makes me when you stutter?” He lowered his hand, and he nearly drooled as he watched him lightly touch his fingertips to the dark, vein-ridden flesh.

A soft, nervous rush of laughter fell from his lips. He wondered if his expression was teasing, but couldn’t seem to steal a glance at his face to see.

“Really, it’s sexy as hell,” he murmured, still talking about his stammer. “Because whenever I hear it, I know it means you’re getting all wound up inside.”

His shyness urged him to look away, but he refused, watching as he curled his big hand around the wide root nestled in that dense patch of dark hair. The shaft was as thick as his wrist, and he couldn’t stop the erotic images from playing across his mind. Breathtaking fantasies of what it would be like if it were his hands touching him…stroking him.

“You wanna know why I was hoping you’d come in here?” he asked, rolling up into a sitting position as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

He nodded, unable to get any words out. The moment felt so fragile, so intense. Thick. Viscous. It was almost difficult to breathe through the excitement, the air steamy against his skin, his face flushed with heat. His mouth trembled, fingers fluttering with little twitches that he couldn’t control. He felt like a neon sign blasting out his helpless longing for something he knew he could never have. That could never truly be his.

“I was hoping you’d come to take me up on my offer,” he drawled, his slow, sin-tipped smile doubling his heart rate as he stood and took a step toward him.

“You mean for an affair?” he asked, dazed by the sight of his stomach, the muscles cut in a way no human male could ever hope to achieve, no matter how many gruelling hours he spent in the gym. And the way he moved. It was beautiful. He didn’t walk, he stalked…prowled, those ripped muscles moving with a raw, animalistic grace that completely betrayed the fact that he was something so much more than human.

Oh yeah, he could so easily see him as the dangerous predator. As something that would stalk the shadowed jungle, taking down its prey with a deadly set of jaws.

“Why do we have to call it anything, Li?” He cocked his head a little to the side, hazel gaze bleeding to warm, rich amber. “Why not just enjoy it?”

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly opened them again. “Because I’m afraid to.”

Wanting nothing more than to kiss the frown from his lips, Theo took another step toward him, and the knot on his towel finally gave way. As the damp cotton fell to the floor, he didn’t try to catch it. He figured he could have played the gentleman and covered up, but what the hell. He’d already spread his legs on the bed and flashed him his monster-sized hard-on. He made him feel like a freaking caveman, so why shouldn’t he go ahead and act the part?

And though he knew no one would ever have believed it, he wasn’t in the habit of showing off his body in front of his lovers. He’d gone through enough of that during his early years and had never really gotten into the whole admiration for his “size” when he’d become a man.

But…it was different with Liam. It jarred him just how different he made him feel, though he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. He made everything seem new to him, so why should sex be any different? He might be as jaded and as used as they came, but Li made him feel…fresh, in some whacked-out, weird kind of way. He wanted to show himself to him in an earthy, animalistic act of seduction. Watch his pale skin go warm as he flaunted his iron-hard cock before him, giving him proof of just how badly he wanted to be inside him.

And maybe, just maybe, it would ease the ache. Make sense of some of the madness that had been tearing him up inside since he’d met him. That had only grown worse with each second that he spent with him.

_ And maybe it will just make it worse, jackass. _

That was certainly a possibility. And yet, did he really care?

_ You had better care. Because if you don’t, everything’s gonna blow up right in your face. _

No, he could control it. If it meant being able to touch him, he would find some way to master the beast and beat the bloody thing into submission.

_ Wanna bet? _

Damn. He was looping so many lines of bullshit, he didn’t know what he was doing anymore - didn’t know which voices to listen to. To believe. All he knew was that he couldn’t be close to him and not touch him. Not when he was enjoying being around him as much as he was, something that never happened to him with men. Not to mention human ones.

And then there was the head-spinning attraction. The I’ve-got-to-have-you-or-I’m-going-to-die burn of hunger. His scent was like something that he could taste in his throat, through his skin. It was thick…warm. Delicious. His chest expanded as he pulled it into his lungs, savouring it, his awareness of him spreading out like a net. He wanted to throw it out and snare him in its grip. Wanted to take him into his arms and drag him away to his cave and…keep him, to hell with the consequences. To hell with his hope for a normal life. To hell with his past and his fears and the fact he was human. To hell with all of it.

At least for as long as it would take him to get what he needed.

Theo half expected him to shriek as he prowled toward him, but he surprised him, going perfectly still instead, his smoky gaze locked in tight on his cock again. He cleared her throat, his voice shaking with nerves. “You, uh, really shouldn’t do that.”

A quick arch of his brows. “Do what?”

“Walk around…like that.”

Theo stopped just a few feet in front of him, careful to keep his body positioned so that he wouldn’t be seen through the open door, and braced his feet. Hooking his thumb around the base of his cock, he pushed the shaft away from his body, imagining what it would be like if he sank to his knees, his parted lips begging for him to come closer. The swollen head was already slick, practically drooling with eagerness. “Tempted?” he rasped, gripping himself in a tight fist, the thick knotwork of veins going dark as he squeezed.

“Yes,” he whispered, flicking his tongue against his upper lip in a quick, shy swipe, as if he was already licking the head of his cock, taking the salty bead there at the tip into his mouth.

His honesty caught him off guard, but only for a moment. “Ah, that’s good to hear, Li. I was beginning to think I’d lost my touch.”

He swept his gaze up to his lopsided grin, his brows drawn together in a V. Uncertainty flickered in his gaze. As well as caution. “Seriously, Theo. Is this all some kind of game to you?”

He’d started to take another step toward him, but stopped, the raw vulnerability of his expression hitting him low in his stomach. He hated that he could disarm him so easily. Make him feel things he didn’t want to feel, as if his emotions were suddenly his to manipulate at will.

“No. No game.” He ran his tongue over his teeth. “I want you, Li. More than I should,” he added, fully aware that he was repeating words he’d said to him before. He shook his head, his hands aching as he fisted them at his sides, struggling to hold himself back from him. “But no matter what happens between us-” the gravelly words scraped against his throat “-I’m staying. Sex isn’t a condition of your and Tori’s protection. I just want to make sure that’s clear.”

He blinked up at him. Took a shaky breath. “You’re going to drive me out of my mind,” he said in a soft voice, “but you’re a good man, Theo.”

He snorted. “I thought you said I was a manwhore.”

“You’d never be a good husband or boyfriend,” he offered with a wry laugh, “but I have a feeling you would make a great friend.”

Something pulled tight in his chest, but he didn’t argue. “Then I’ll be your friend, Li.” Until you’re ready to ask me to be more.

_ Whoa. _ Taking a mental step back, he wondered where those strange words had come from. Damn it, he didn’t want him to ask for more, and even if he did, there wasn’t a chance that he would ever do it.

Forcing himself back on track, he said, “I’ll be your friend, and if you’d give me the chance, I could be a hell of a lover.”

He shook his head, pressing himself tighter against the wall. “God, Theo. Do you enjoy torturing me? Tempting me to make an idiot of myself?”

“You forget that you’re the one who came in here to me, Li?” A sliver of his desperation suddenly bled through in his tone, his voice going gritty and hard. “And it wouldn’t be torture if you’d stop fighting the inevitable and just give in.”

“Why? Why do you want this to happen? And for once just tell me the truth!”

His gaze slid to the side, and he caught a flash of his reflection in the mirror above the dresser. Immediately he looked away, not recognising the man who’d briefly stared back at him. There’d been too much intensity in his golden eyes. Too much need etched into the hard angles of his face. He felt too raw, too exposed, as if he’d been stripped down and everything laid out for the world to see.

Which was pretty funny, really. Considering he was standing there in front of him bare-assed naked.

Rolling his shoulder, Theo locked his gaze on the white nothingness of the wall behind his head. “You want the truth, Li? Well, here it is.” The words were low, guttural, all but ripping their way out of him. “The truth is that I should stay away from you, but I can’t.” He lifted his right hand, worrying three fingers against the edge of his jaw. “You make me smile. Make me laugh. Every time you walk into a room, my cock goes hard and my heart starts pounding like it wants to bust its way through my chest. My ears roar and my mouth waters.” Taking a deep breath, he lowered his gaze, locking onto the ocean blue of his eyes. “You want the truth? The truth is that I hate the way you keep pulling away from me. And the truth is that I don’t like being this out of control, but I can’t stop it.”

“Then leave.” He broke eye contact with him as he sidled to the side, as if he was planning on slinking out the door and running away. “Let Brett and Nolan take over and just go.”

Theo reached out, smacking his right hand against the door. It slammed shut, the sharp sound making him jump. He moved closer, crowding him against the wall, caging him in. “Is that what you want? You want me gone?”

He kept his eyes on his throat. Pulled his lower lip through his teeth. “We’re talking about you, not me.”

“Don’t play games with me,” he growled, forcing the words through his clenched teeth as he smacked the flat of his palm against the door. “I’m not in the mood.”

He trembled, closing his eyes, and Theo forced another deep breath into his lungs, mentally shaking his head at himself. Christ, so much for keeping it light and easy.

_ Smooth, asshole. _

The colour in his face was burning brighter as he dared a quick look up at his face. “I tried to explain it to you before,” he whispered. “I don’t know the first thing about having casual sex, and I’ve never had a one-night stand in my life.”

With one hand braced against the door, the other against the wall, Theo lowered his head and buried his nose in the tender curve of his throat, torturing himself with his scent. “Who said anything about one night?” he muttered. “It’s going to take a hell of a lot longer than that for me to get my fill of you. And I can guarantee there won’t be anything casual about it.”

Lifting his head, he trapped him with the burning intensity of his stare. “And if you keep telling me that you can’t,” he grunted, driven by the powerful urge to see him smiling up at him again, “it’s gonna give me a complex. I’m liable to start thinking that you just don’t want me. It’ll be pathetic, Liam, and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

Something soft and shaky slipped from his lips, like a fairy’s laugh, the light sound filling him with an almost visceral satisfaction. “Oh, God. Honestly, Theo. I’d have to be out of my mind not to want you. You know that’s not it.”

He cupped his jaw with his right hand, pressing his thumb into his lower lip. “Good.”

“But that doesn’t mean that I can be reckless and just do whatever I want.”

“Wrong, Li,” he argued, swiping his thumb along the inside edge of his lip, feeling the damp heat of his mouth. “You’re a grown man. You can do whatever you want.”

“But it’s a mistake.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “Welcome to the club, honey. People make mistakes every day of their lives. Might as well be one that we can enjoy.”

He stared so deeply into his eyes that he fought not to squirm. “Is it really that simple to you? Don’t you ever worry about getting hurt?”

“I told you before, I won’t hurt you.”

“Theo,” he said unsteadily, his mouth trembling, “you’ll do it without even trying.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw, no doubt betraying how wound up he was inside. “You’re just going to have to take that risk.”

“Risks aren’t smart.” A soft, breathless whisper that made him want to roar with frustration.

“Screw smart. Go with instinct for once in your life, Li. Be selfish and look at it as using me for pleasure, just like I told you to do this morning. You can settle for your boring little slice of normal later on. But right now you should-”

“Theo,” he murmured, cutting him off as he pressed his hands to the burning heat of his chest, “I-”

He didn’t wait to hear what he had to say, too afraid it was going to be another rejection. Instead, he grabbed his hand and flattened it against his cock. “Damn it, Liam. I need to get you under me.” He ground out the words, his breath hissing through his teeth as his fingers curled around him in a tight, greedy hold. “And it needs to happen now.”


	13. Chapter 13

The word weren’t shouted, but Liam could feel Theo’s control slipping. See the raw desire shaking him apart inside. He didn’t understand why he wanted him physically, considering he could have anyone he chose. It didn’t make any logical sense for him to want him, the sexually inept History teacher who had never really been wanted by anyone. At least not like this, as if he were actually something worth wanting. But he could feel his need pulsing against his hand, hard and hot and urgent. See it glowing in his eyes, the smouldering amber reminding him of how he’d looked that morning, when he’d had his fingers buried inside his body, urging him to come for him.

He was acutely aware of the fact that this was the moment he would normally have shied away from such mouthwatering temptation and shut himself down, falling back on old habits that were hard to give up. But he turned away from them, slamming a metaphorical door in their startled faces. And with that uncharacteristic act of defiance came a sharp, electrifying surge of anticipation. One that grew, swelling, until it was something he could feel pulsing through his body, like a living thing.

Now, for the first time in what felt like forever, he chose to give free rein to his emotions and simply enjoy the moment. Enjoy everything he could from the complicated Pack member, for as long as it lasted. He could shut down again later, when it was time to slink away and lick his wounds. But for now he wanted to feel the fire. The heat and the burn and the blistering passion. He wanted to feel Theo. All of him. Everything.

Which was kind of convenient, seeing as how his hand was fisted around his vein-ridden cock, the suede-soft skin a sensual contrast to the raw, primal power pulsing beneath its surface. He tightened her grip, squeezing as much of him as he could, though his fingers didn’t even fit all the way around. He grunted, thrusting against him in a hard, reflexive move, pushing the broad shaft through his fingers. His tall frame shuddered, every stark, powerful muscle rigid beneath the tight stretch of his tanned, silk-textured skin.

Loving the wild, I’m-going-to-do-things-to-you-that-you-can’t-even-imagine look in his eyes, Liam squeezed him again, this time in a long, slow pull that ripped some kind of thick animal sound up from his chest.

And he liked that sound so much that he did it again.

Then he watched breathlessly as a feral glow flashed in his gaze, almost as if something else was staring back at him. Something predatory and savage and dangerous. Something that was Theo…but  _ different _ . Other.

One second he was shuddering against him, and in the next his lips pulled back over his teeth…and he ripped his hand away. “No more,” he growled between deep, ragged pulls of air. Taking hold of his hands, he lifted them both above his head and pressed them against the wall, trapping them there. “I’m too on edge. You’re about to make me come.”

Liam wet his lips, his breath quickening as need-drenched desire spilled through his system in a warm, succulent wave. It sent his head spinning, his body going rigid as his cock swelled. “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Not yet.” Each word was formed with hard, guttural precision. “Not until I’ve made you come first.” He got close, right in his face, his breath warm and sweet and tempting. “You’re small, Li. And I’m built like a bloody horse. The more times I can get you off, the more you’ll relax, and the easier it’s gonna be for you to take me.”

“That’s hardly fair, Theo. I want to be able to touch you-”

“You will,” he broke in, cutting him off. “But right now I just need you to trust me on this, okay? That’s all I’m asking.”

He shivered as his thumbs found the damp hollows of his palms, stroking the sensitive skin. Chills raced after prickles of heat, his own hunger twisting inside him like a sinuous animal thing that was starved for pleasure. “One of the first things you said to me last night,” he whispered, “was that you didn’t care if I trusted you.”

“Yeah, well.” A crooked, boyish smile flirted at the corner of his mouth, his eyes still flickering with that sharp, feral glow. “I’ve been known to lie a time or two.”

His own smile was wry. “Make a mental note, Theo. You should never admit to being a liar when asking for someone's trust. Kinda defeats the purpose.”

His chest vibrated with a deep, sexy bark of laughter, and he grasped his waist, lifting him effortlessly off the floor. He pinned him against the wall, his heavy-lidded stare never leaving his face as he guided his legs around his hips, his cock rubbing against his own. “Seriously, Li. You can trust me.” A low, solemn tone, like a vow. “And I swear nothing’s gonna happen here that you don’t want to happen.”

“That could actually be a problem,” he groaned, dropping his head back against the wall.

Catching the teasing note in his voice, he arched one arrogant brow. “Why’s it a problem?”

“Because you make me feel greedy,” he whispered. “I have a feeling I’m going to want it all.”

His grin was downright wicked, wreaking all kinds of havoc inside his body. Heat. Nerves. Rushing pulse and churning, almost painful anticipation. “Saying things like that is gonna get you into trouble, Li.”

“Not to point out the obvious,” he murmured, unable to stop the needy roll of his hips that pressed him tighter against his erection, his low growl and the tightening grasp of his hands telling him how much he liked it. “But I have a feeling I’m already in trouble.”

With another sexy rumble of laughter, Theo lowered his head. The thick silk of his hair fell forward, brushing against his face as he ran the damp heat of his mouth along the edge of his jaw. “You might be right, darling boy.”

“I know I’m right.” A soft, breathless rush of words, while his hands stayed busy exploring the hard, mouthwatering muscles in his shoulders and arms, his skin hot and slick to the touch, as if he were burning with fever. “And seeing as how I’m not very good at this, maybe you should tell me what’s going to happen first. You know…so I can be prepared.”

He could hear the smile in his voice as he kissed his way down the side of his throat. “You know in that book of yours where the duke ties the guy up to the bed and licks him from head to toe?”

Liam nearly choked on a shy, shocked burst of giggles. “We don’t have time for that. Tori might need me.” Not to mention the fact that he’d die of embarrassment if Theo tried to do something like that to his less-than-perfect body. In his mind, he was thinking more of sliding beneath the covers, under a comforting shadow of darkness, so that the differences between them wouldn’t be quite so obvious.

“If you won’t let me tie you up,” he rasped within the sensitive hollow of his ear, handling his weight with ridiculous ease as he held him against him, carrying him toward the bed, “then I guess I’ll just have to improvise and hold you down instead.”

The next thing Liam knew, he was tossing him onto the soft, Theo-scented sheets. He stood there for a moment, just staring down at him, the most provocative look he’d ever seen on any man’s face carved into the rugged lines of his expression, the sexy creases beside his eyes only adding to his devastating good looks. Then he crawled over him, his parted lips hovering just above his as he slid one hand between his legs. He palmed his cock through his jeans, holding it as if he owned it, or wanted to, and his heart flipped over in his chest, reminding him that he was playing a dangerous game, fooling around with a man who wanted him only for sex.

A man he’d only known for little more than a day, though it felt as if he’d been wanting him, craving him forever. For a lifetime.

“Touching you this morning was incredible, but I need…I need this in my mouth, Li.” He rubbed the heel of his palm against the top of his cock, making him tremble. “Need to feel you against my tongue.”

He covered his hot face with his hands as he suddenly stood up again and practically ripped off his jeans. His hands were hot against his knees as he pushed them apart, the pair of white cotton briefs that he’d put on that morning doing little to shield his straining cock from his gaze. Desire pulsed its way through his body, potent and sharp - but there was fear there, as well. Fear that he wouldn’t please him. Fear that he’d lock up, close down and end up lying there like a dead fish, boring the hell out of him. He couldn’t help the burning twinges of self-consciousness and doubt, when he was standing there looking like a freaking god, his body nothing short of luscious perfection, with muscles poured over muscles, and a face that any man would die to possess. “Theo. I, um, I know I said I wanted it all. But I…I don’t know if I can do this. I mean, maybe we should skip the…um, oral part, and just get to the other stuff.”

“Stop worrying, Liam. All you have to do is lie there and come.” Theo worked to keep his voice soothing, which wasn’t easy, considering all he wanted to do was growl and snarl and roar like a bloody madman, his beast so worked up it was a miracle he was managing to speak at all.

_ Just calm down, damn it. Or you’re going to scare him off. And there’ll be no one to blame but yourself. _

The coyote-wolf chuffed with frustration, tossing its head, then went back to prowling the confines of his body, lurking just beneath the surface of his skin, seething with hunger.

Taking a deep breath, Theo slid his hands up his legs, gripped his thighs and pinned them against the mattress. He crawled back onto the bed and leaned forward, his mouth watering as he pressed his nose against the damp spot growing on his briefs. He groaned, sounding embarrassed and aroused all at once, and he had to fight the primal urge to rip the cotton away with his teeth, so that he could get to the sweetness that lay shielded beneath. His thighs strained against his hold as he reflexively tried to pull them closed, the arch in his back the most sensual thing he’d ever seen. He wanted to remove every stitch of his clothing, but didn’t trust himself. Knew the sight of his flushed, lithe little body would push him over the edge, shattering his control.

And God only knew he would need every ounce of control that he had if he was going to keep it together long enough to make this work. It was the given truth that oral sex had never been his thing, but he had no doubt that he was going to enjoy going down on Liam.

Probably even love it, he thought, rubbing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Become addicted to it, if he tasted even half as good as he smelled. His instincts were purring for this. For him.

And Theo had always been a man who trusted his instincts.

Touching his open mouth to the pale, tender skin of his hip, he rubbed his fingers against the drenched cotton. “I’m going to put my tongue right here,” he told him, slipping his finger beneath the elastic leg band and stroking over the slick slit. “Push it inside my mouth. Lick you all over until you come in my mouth, all hot and slick and sweet.”

Bracing himself on his left arm, Theo slid his hand down his cock, and watched as his hands fell away from his face, to his sides, clutching handfuls of the sheets as if he needed to anchor herself. Thick, savage satisfaction spilled through his veins at the dazed look of lust darkening his blue eyes as he stared back at him, his lips parted for the shallow, jagged rhythm of his breathing. He was thinking about it, imagining what he’d described, and he could scent the rise of his need, that provocative perfume seeping into him, making him drunk with craving.

“This is, um, a little embarrassing,” he whispered, flicking his tongue against his lower lip. Damp ringlets curled at his temples. “I mean, I’m not really comfortable doing this kind of thing with the lights on.”

Choking back a low growl, Theo nuzzled the hem of his hoodie above his navel, then buried his face against the thick patch of hair that led down. No way was he going to let him hide from him. “You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about, Li.” He slid his fingers back up, then back down again, nearly dying as another rush of precome drizzled from the tip. “You’re perfect. We’re talking the blow my mind, make me dizzy kind of perfect.”

He licked down the thatch of hair beneath his navel, slowly working his way toward the edge of his briefs. He could feel how shy he was, but it didn’t turn him off. If anything, Liam’s shyness just turned him on. A lot. Hell, he even got off on the way he breathed. The way he blinked. He could probably recite the bloody alphabet and make him hard as nails. The human was just too tempting to resist.

“Can’t wait any longer,” he growled, pulling his fingers away from the hard, velvet-smooth skin of his cock. He gave a shocked cry as he fisted his hand in the front of his briefs, ripping the cotton with ridiculous ease, then tossed them over the side of the bed. Leaning forward, he wedged his shoulders between his legs, forcing them to part a little wider for him. He wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, but the words were all jammed up in his throat, his head thick with hunger and craving as he rubbed his thumbs along the inner surface of his thighs. His gaze locked with a visceral force of need on the exquisite flesh nestled there between his legs, his eyes burning as he stared at that private part of him.

_ Private. _

Until that moment, Theo had never really thought there was anything particularly private about a man’s sex. The men he normally took to bed weren’t innocent or shy. They tended to strip easily, lie back, spread their legs and show him what they knew he was after. He didn’t think badly of them for it. In fact, he’d always appreciated the fact that they understood what he wanted from them, as callous as that sounded, and didn’t waste his time making him work for it.

But there was something wonderfully intimate about coaxing Liam to spread his legs wider for him, so that he could open him up like a gift, his eyes moving from the flushed hardness of his cock to the balls underneath. “The light,” he gasped, shivering beneath the hot breaths of his hovering mouth.

“I’m not turning it out,” he muttered, the guttural edge of the animal’s voice bleeding through the human words. Unable to wait any longer, Theo used his strength to position his legs the way he wanted them, pushing them out high and wide. “I want it bright. Need to be able to see every part of you.”

He stiffened, reaching down to cover himself, but he stopped him with a single word. “Don’t,” he growled, making him jump. “Sorry, just…don’t cover yourself, Li. Don’t move.” He took a deep breath, forced out a gritty, desperate “Please.” Then nearly cried with relief when he shifted his hands to his hair, soothing him with tender strokes of his fingers, as if he were gentling some wild, out-of-control creature. It made him feel raw. Exposed. Though he’d have cut his own tongue out before telling him to stop, the touch of his hands against his hair too blissful and sweet.

Using his thumbs, Theo pushed down his foreskin until he could see the slick, tender head hidden inside. He was mesmerised, dazed by the sheer perfection of him. Smooth, pale thighs, and then that blushing, candy-pink tip, all vivid and wet and pretty. It was like opening the lid of a treasure chest to find the jewels hidden inside. Like discovering an exotic hothouse flower, its succulent scent like no other in the world.

That was how it felt with him. He might have had more than any man’s fair share of sex, but staring down at Liam with rapt fascination, he knew he’d never seen anything like him. Nothing this perfect. This sweet. This…private. In that moment, Theo finally understood the deeper meaning of that word. One that burned in his chest, hot and vital and violently strong. Yes, that was how he felt. This was private. Something that no one should ever have the right to see but him. That no one else should ever be allowed to touch. Or taste.

Dangerous thoughts. But impossible ones to ignore. Not that he knew what to do about them.

“You’re staring at me,” he whispered, his breath hitching as he lifted herself on his elbows, staring at him over the trembling line of his body. “And you have the strangest look on your face.”

“Not strange,” he rasped, the corner of his mouth twisting with a tight, wry smile. “Believe it or not, darling boy, that’s just my happy look. Feel kinda like I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

He fell back against the bed again as he gave a soft laugh, his hands clutching back onto handfuls of the sheet. “You’re a madman, Theo.”

Yeah. Probably. God only knew that he must look like one. Sweat covered his face, his chest, the craving twisting him up inside, scraping and raw, no doubt etched into his expression. He wanted to mark him, branding his body in ways that would let every other male out there know they had no claim on him.

That he was his and no one else’s.

For the moment, sneered an all-too-human voice in his head. Only for the moment.

He snarled the bastard back into hiding, unwilling to listen to his bullshit. Not now. Not when he really was about to experience the closest thing to heaven he knew he’d ever get.

“You’re so beautiful,” he groaned, lowering his face, unable to fight the urgent need to get his mouth on him. He’d feared that panic might take hold of him when he got to this point, but he shouldn’t have worried. There was no reminder from his past. No unwanted memories or emotions. There was just Liam, the intoxicating feel and taste of him exploding through his body, drenching his senses in pleasure.

“So good,” he growled, licking around his head, his tongue in ecstasy as it lapped at his glistening flesh, then slid it into his mouth, going deep.

He writhed beneath him as he whispered hoarse, broken phrases, telling him how gorgeous he was, using carnal words that had his skin burning with heat, his entire body covered in a dark, brilliant blush. Theo couldn’t get enough of him, nearly dying when his back arched, a throaty cry spilling from his lips as he crashed over the edge, pulsing against his mouth in a sweet, melting rush of pleasure. He swallowed down every drop, drinking him like he was in the desert and Liam was an oasis, continuing to suckle him even once his cock had stopped twitching.

“That was…I didn’t know how it would…that I could actually…” He struggled to get the husky words out between his panting breaths, his voice blissed-out and dreamy.

Theo licked his lips, starving for him. “Yeah, it was. I want more.”

“No, wait. I want to be able to touch you, too.”

His beast roared at the idea, and Theo knew he was pushing it. He’d known that going down on him would whip the animal into a frenzy, but he hadn’t been able to deny himself a taste of him. And now that he’d had one, he needed another.

“You can touch me after,” he groaned, flicking his tongue against his slit. “Right now I just need to keep doing this.”

And boy did he do it well. Taking a deep breath, Liam lifted his head, needing to see it. Theo. Between his legs. His pink tongue lapping at him, licking him. Those hard, beautiful features pulled into an expression of pure, breathtaking lust. Need. Hunger.

He moved his gaze down his body, his weight balanced on his left arm and his knees, and almost came again when he saw him stroking his cock in a hard, brutal-looking grip with his right hand. He blinked, wetting his lips, thinking it was incredibly erotic, not to mention sexy as hell, that going down on him made him want to touch himself.

He flicked his golden eyes up to his face and found him staring at him. “The beast,” he growled, his mouth slick with his come. “If I don’t take care of this, I’m going to…” His voice broke, his eyes flashing…the sharp points of his teeth edging beneath the sensual curve of his upper lip, and he realised his fangs were descending. That he was…changing, at least partly. The hard, hungry look on his face as he started to crawl his way over him - his body moving like a sleek, powerful predator - should have scared the hell out of him, but it didn’t. It just made him hotter, needier…everything inside him screaming to get as much of this man as he could.

_ You’re losing your mind, man. We’re talking grade A certifiable. _

Maybe. But in that moment he honestly didn’t give a damn.

“Theo.” He cleared his throat, trying to talk past the twisted knot of lust and emotion that was choking him. “Come closer.”

When his face was just above his, he stopped, his sweet breath warm against his mouth as he stared down into his eyes with a dark, hypnotic look that made him burn with heat. He lifted his right hand, laying it against the curve of his cheek, his thumb stroking the corner of his mouth. His gaze fell, following the lazy movement of his thumb as he swept it across his lower lip, his breathing loud against the heavy silence of the room. Flicking his tongue out, Liam licked the tip of his thumb, sucking it into his mouth, and his gaze flew up, locking with his own.

A rough, guttural sound vibrated in his throat. And then he was kissing him. Or rather, consuming him. His tongue swept past his lips, claiming…seducing, with bone-melting, heart-pounding skill.

“Touch me, damn it.” The low growl blasted against his mouth, and then he was kissing him again, harder, wetter, his head angling to the side for a deeper connection as he reached between them, wrapping his fingers around his heavy cock. He squeezed, milking him, and he broke the kiss, chanting a breathless, sexy string of swear words against his cheek, his temple, his lips moving against his skin in a soft, sensual brush.

He stroked him, Theo’s right hand roughly shoving up his hoodie, when the first knock sounded against the bedroom door. They both froze, his eyes wide, Theo’s narrowed with fury.

“What?” he snarled, dropping to his side as a second knock came, this one louder than the first.

“Sorry to, uh, interrupt,” Brett called through the door, “but Tori nodded off during the movie and we think she must have had a bad dream. She woke up asking for Liam, and she’s starting to get a little anxious.”

Liam scrambled to his feet, quickly pulling his jeans back on, wincing a little as the rasp of the denim against his sensitive cock, while Theo remained on the bed, one arm thrown over his eyes, his cock rising high against his ridged stomach, so hard it looked painful. His chest rose and fell as he took a series of slow, deep breaths. “Sorry,” he whispered, biting the corner of his lip. He hated that he had to leave him like that, knowing damn well he didn’t deserve it after everything he’d done to him. For him. “I…you know I have to go.”

“You don’t need to apologise,” he rasped, still covering his eyes. “She needs you, and it’s not like a hard-on is gonna kill me.” Another deep breath lifted his chest, the light glinting against the tip of a fang just beneath his upper lip. “It’s probably better this way. I seem to be a little low on control tonight.”

“Is control so important?”

A gritty, bitter laugh. “Darling boy, you have no idea.”

Wondering what he was hiding, he turned away, his heart still beating like a trapped bird within his chest. Somehow he managed to make his way toward the door, even though his legs felt like overcooked linguini.

“Liam.”

With one hand on the door, he looked at him over his shoulder.

He’d lifted his head, his gaze shadowed by the thick fringe of his lashes. “Just so you know, that’s how it’ll be between us every time. You won’t ever have to fake it or pretend something you don’t feel.”

He gave him a tremulous smile, painfully aware that he was feeling so much more than he should. Certain, now, that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

_ You’re gonna be sorry. And then you’re gonna feel like a fool. _

“Try to get some rest,” he told him, turning a deaf ear to the words being whispered through his mind. Then  he hurried through the door, leaving the ultimate temptation behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

_ Iowa _

_ Late Sunday afternoon _

It’d been a bitch of a day, the traveling taking its toll on each and every one of them. Not to mention the stress. Theo had wanted to say to hell with the tedious way of traveling - the constant backtracking to throw off any Beasts who might be on their trail - and make a fast, straight run for Colorado. But Isaac had cautioned him against it, claiming that the safest place for them right now might very well be out in the middle of nowhere. At least until they had a better understanding of what they were up against. When he’d talked to Isaac that morning, he’d learned that another Pack member had been killed, this one in South Africa. Compounds were going on high alert all around the world, and Parrish was keeping a close eye on things back at the Preserve. They had the most high-tech security available at the Colorado compound, but there was no way of telling how it would hold up against this strange new threat that was targeting the shifters.

Determined to offer Liam and Tori as much protection as possible, Theo had called in one of their colleagues, Danny Mahealani, from the Pack compound in Reno. Danny had been on the road for hours, after flying into Des Moines, and was set to catch up with them any time now. They’d pulled into a populated rest stop about ten minutes ago to wait for him, giving everyone a chance to get out and stretch their legs for a bit.

While Brett and Nolan were grabbing sodas from the small shop set up at the far end of the parking strip, Theo stood beside the truck and smoked a cigarette, the late-afternoon breeze whipping at the shoulder-length strands of his hair. Liam was still sitting in the truck with Tori, who hadn’t woken up from her nap yet, the engine left on so that they could have the heater running on low.

Leaning back against the driver’s door, Theo tilted his head back and stared up at the dark blue of the sky, trying to find a moment of stillness…of peace. But his head just kept spinning around and around.

Something had changed between him and Liam during those minutes they’d spent in his hotel room the night before, the stakes even higher now than he’d imagined they’d be. The rational part of his brain knew he should cut his losses while he still could, but being with him just felt too good.

Better than good. Damn it, being with him felt right.

He’d been sucked in, and now he just wanted to wallow for as long as he could, soaking in the warmth and sweetness before he found himself shoved back out into the bitter, biting cold. And he had no doubt that the cold front would hit, leaving him right back where he’d started, fucking his way through an endless stream of people who didn’t mean jack to him. Who never reached beneath his skin. Never made him think about impossible things he knew he had no business thinking about. Especially with a human.

It had been dangerous enough getting involved with him when the only thing drawing him to him was that lush, evocative scent. That brutal, intense physical pull. Then he’d had to go and get to know him, discovering that he actually liked him. A lot. Enough to make every moment he spent with him a monumental kind of mistake, for the simple fact that Liam Dunbar was not the kind of man he could keep.

Hell, even if he ignored his messed-up past and the fact that he would never truly trust him not to betray him, there was still the fact that he wanted that nice little slice of normal for his life. And God only knew that he was anything but. Even in the bizarre world of the clans, Theo was something screwed up and different.

And yet, despite the fact that he couldn’t have been further from what he wanted for a serious relationship, there was no denying that he was attracted to him sexually. They had lust, and Theo was desperate enough to use it. He just had to figure out a way to touch him without almost losing it, as he had last night.

_ And if you can’t? What then? _

Before he could start another internal debate over his pathetic lack of control, the door opened on the opposite side of the truck, his scent hitting him like a physical punch as the wind whipped it around his head, making his mouth water. Gritting his teeth, he waited for the verbal lashing he expected he’d been itching to deliver, considering he’d been acting like a prick for most of the day.

From the corner of his eye he watched as he came around the back of the truck then leaned against its side, leaving a few feet between them, as if they needed the buffer zone. “Are you okay?” he asked.

A low, gritty laugh rumbled up from his chest, and Theo shook his head, still staring up at the fiery blue of the sky, thinking that this man would never cease to surprise him. Here he’d been expecting him to lay into him, and instead his soft voice held only the tender, resonating notes of concern.

Taking a deep drag on the cigarette, he slowly exhaled, watching the billowing thread of smoke fade to blue. “I’m fine, Liam.”

“You look as if you’re a million miles away.”

“I’ve just got a lot on my mind. Lydia called a few minutes ago.”

“Did she hear from Allison again?”

“Yeah.” He took another deep drag on the cigarette, letting the smoke burn his lungs. Exhaled with a hard breath that revealed his frustration. “But I don’t know what to believe.”

“Why? What did Allison say?”

“Not much.” Lifting his free hand, he worried two fingers against the hard set of his jaw. “She can’t give us anything solid about that bastard that attacked us, or the other Pack murders. But it sounds as if she agrees with Isaac.”

“You mean about us staying on the road right now?” he asked with a soft note of surprise.

He responded with a sharp nod, took another drag, then flicked the cigarette onto the asphalt and ground it out with the bottom of his boot. “But it doesn’t make any sense. I can surround you with protection at the Preserve. But the longer we wander around out here, their chances of getting to us are only gonna get better.”

He was quiet for a moment, the heat of his gaze burning against his profile, and then he asked, “Did Allison have any information about Josh?”

Theo shook his head again, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “No, but Lydia told me that a teenager’s been reported missing back in Lennox. The girl lived next door to your friend’s house.” Turning his head, he met the wide-eyed surprise of his stare. “We don’t have any proof, but I’d be willing to bet my ass that more Beasts must have arrived after we left on Friday night.”

“Oh, God,” he gasped, his face completely draining of color as he pressed his hand to his mouth.

Knowing damn well what he was thinking, he said, “It’s not your fault, Li.”

“You…you said that she’s missing,” he whispered unsteadily. “So…they haven’t found a body. Couldn’t…couldn’t she have maybe run away?”

“I doubt it.” He cut his gaze toward the tall woods that edged the rest stop, hating that shattered look on his face. The watery sheen of tears in his blue eyes. “We wouldn’t have expected there to be a body. They probably took her somewhere and charred it.”

“Charred it?”

A muscle ticked in the side of his jaw, his hands itching with the need to reach out and grab him, pulling him against his chest, where he could just hold on to him. Do his best to offer what comfort he could, though he didn’t have a clue how to do it.

Clearing his throat, he answered her question. “For the most part, the Collective have been using a chemical compound to cover the evidence of any Beast kills. It’s one that they bioengineered to burn a body down without any flames, making it impossible to determine how the kill was made.”

“But Allison’s body wasn’t burned.”

“There have been a few cases where the compound wasn’t used. Allison was one of them. We think they were probably scared off and her body discovered before they were able to come back and destroy it.”

Though he didn’t say anything, Theo could feel the force of his anguish blasting against him as he thought about his sister and the teenage girl. He was usually clueless at reading others emotions, unless they happened to be pissed off at him. But for some reason, he felt completely attuned to Liam, sensing his pain as if it were his own, which just set him even further on edge, cranking up his tension.

Silence settled between them, as heavy as the clouds that were rolling in from the east. He was about to suggest they wake Tori up, so that she could get out and run around for a bit, when Li finally spoke up. “Are you sure there isn’t something else that’s bothering you?” he asked, the change in subject not one Theo would have chosen. But he figured he might as well go ahead and get it over with.

“I can tell you’re hankering to bitch about something.” He slid him a wary look, knowing that he sounded like a jackass. “So why don’t you go ahead and just spit it out?”

For a moment he looked as if he’d punched him, but then he shook it off, saying, “You could have just stopped.”

Theo arched his right brow. “Stopped what?”

“Last night.”

“Yeah.” Another low, gritty bark of laughter scratched his throat, and he rolled his eyes. “Like that would have ever happened. You really don’t understand much about guys and sex, do you?”

He blanched, spinning around with the obvious intent of getting away from him. Quietly cursing himself for acting like such a jerk, Theo reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him before he could walk away. “Liam,” he said softly, “look at me.”

He took a deep breath, cast a cautious look over his shoulder.

“I’m in a shitty mood today,” he told him, reaching out with his free hand to brush it over his cheek. “But that doesn’t mean I regret what happened between us.”

He narrowed his eyes, obviously trying to decide whether or not he ought to believe him. “If that’s true, then what’s your problem? You’ve been acting pissy all day.”

“First of all, guys don’t act pissy,” he snorted, his mouth twisting with a wry grin. “And secondly, I’m in a shitty mood because I’m a selfish son of a bitch who wishes the goddamn day would go ahead and be over with so that we can find a hotel and finally finish what we started.”

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip, his eyes darkening as he studied his expression. Quietly he said, “There’s more to it than that.”

“Yeah? What, then?”

Turning back around, he pulled out of his hold, and Theo forced himself to drop his hand back to his side, when all he really wanted to do was pull him closer. He crossed his arms, his head tilted at a thoughtful angle as he held his stare. “You don’t like wanting me.”

“Oh, Christ.” Theo pulled his hand down his face, then propped his shoulder against the side of the truck. “Don’t start on your looks again,” he groaned, raising his voice so that he could be heard over the roaring engine of a passing semi out on the highway, “because you’re only going to piss me off.”

“I don’t mean that. Though it still doesn’t make any sense - the you-wanting-me part. But it’s not sitting well with you, and to be honest, I’m not even sure anymore that it’s just because I’m a human. I think there’s something more. Something you’re not telling me. But whatever the reason, you don’t want to want me, Theo.”

He knew he should argue, but damn it, he was right. He didn’t want to feel this way about him. He didn’t want to feel anything about him. He was human. One who could turn his life into a living nightmare. One slip of that teeth-grinding hold he had on his body and his emotions, and he’d make that bite - the one that could never be undone. The one that would forever bind him to a man who would sooner or later decide he wasn’t worth his contempt, much less his faith and trust and love.

No, to feel anything at all for him was a mistake, and for a moment he actually considered just saying to hell with it and coming clean. Tell him the truth. Open his veins and confess the ugliness of his past. Admit that part of the reason he was in such a foul mood was that he’d almost lost control with him last night. Almost allowed too much of his beast to break free. But he held his tongue, knowing that any talk about the animal side of his nature could very well lead into territory he didn’t plan on touching with a ten-foot pole.

While he stood there lost in thought, he simply watched him, his solemn gaze making him feel as if he was seeing past the aggressive, smart-ass attitude he’d always used to shield himself. To keep people away. As if he could see right inside him, down to all the black, toxic grime that coated his soul.

Finally he took a deep breath and slowly shook his head. “I know you’ll probably think I sound like a fool. And I’m not saying that everyone in the world should be in love before going to bed together. But…lovers should at least be comfortable with their attraction. They should at least like each other.” Soft, husky words that slipped down his spine, melting beneath his skin. “Even if it is nothing more than an affair.”

“Damn it, Liam. I do like you,” he muttered, feeling intensely awkward. He wasn’t used to admitting his feelings to himself, much less out loud…for others to hear. His gaze shifted away, focusing on the highway, and he scraped his fingers back through his hair. “And let’s face it. It’s not like you’d ever want me for anything more than an affair anyway.”

He could sense the surprise his words caused, but before he could ask what he meant, Brett called out as he and Nolan came walking toward the truck, their arms filled with packs of chips, candy bars and plastic soda bottles. “Danny just called,” Brett told them. “He hit some traffic and is running a little late. Probably won’t be here for another twenty minutes or so.”

Nolan lowered the truck’s tailgate, and he and Brett set down the drinks and snacks, inviting them to help themselves. Theo walked over and grabbed two sodas, then handed one to Liam. He murmured a quiet thank-you and said, “Since we’re going to be waiting for a bit, I’m going to wake up Tori and take her over to the playground.”

“I’ll come with you,” he grunted, sliding a dark look toward the grass-covered, brightly coloured play area. It was only about twenty yards away, wedged between the narrow parking lot and the surrounding woods, but he didn’t like the idea of them going alone.

“No.” He took a step back, his face lowered as he twisted the cap off her drink, making his expression difficult to read. “That’s okay. I think it’ll be good if we just give each other some breathing room for a while.”

“It isn’t safe for you to go off on your own, Li.” He took a drink of his soda, then wiped the back of his wrist over his mouth. “There are cars all over the place here. No telling who’s in them. The Beasts could be anywhere.”

“We’ll be right over there, Theo.” Hee flicked a quick glance up at his face, then looked away again. “You’ll be able to see us the entire time. It’s not like I’m going to go wandering off anywhere without you. I’m not an idiot. I would never risk Tori’s safety that way.”

Obviously sensing the tension between them, Nolan spoke up, saying, “If you want, I’ll head over with you.”

It chafed to see how quickly Liam agreed. “Thanks, Nolan. I’ll get Tori,” he murmured, while Theo just stood there, gritting his teeth.

“Don’t let them out of your sight,” he muttered, cutting a hard look toward the human.

“Don’t worry,” Nolan told him. “I’ll stay close.”

Theo gave a grim nod, and the three of them headed over to the playground together, Tori chattering away to Nolan as she held Liam’s hand, the pink ball Theo had bought her that morning clutched under her arm. The child was obviously thrilled by the idea of some playtime, and as he gazed toward the playground, he watched as Liam pushed Tori on one of the swings for a few minutes, then helped her make her way across the metal jungle gym. He watched…and watched, and even though he knew he was staring, he couldn’t look away. Everything about Liam Dunbar fascinated him.

He was like an addict, starved for the sight of him. And he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.

Hopping up onto the tailgate, Brett snickered under his breath. “Dude, you are so obvious.”

“Shut up, Brett.”

“Seriously,” the wolf drawled, and Theo could hear the smile in the jackass’s voice. “Look at you, man. You can’t even take your eyes off him. All you can do is stand there drooling, watching him with those sad puppy eyes.”

Theo ran his tongue over his teeth, reminding himself that it wasn’t going to help the situation if he broke Brett’s nose. No matter how bloody tempting it was.

Brett clucked his tongue. “He’s getting to you, isn’t he?”

“You not hear me the first time?” Theo snapped, cutting a furious scowl in Brett’s direction. “Mind your own damn business and let it go.”

Instead of taking offense, Brett just grinned back, sitting there with his elbows resting on his knees. “Yeah, let it go,” he murmured, a wistful edge to his gritty laughter that couldn’t be missed. “It’s funny, but I don’t think any of us are very good at that sort of thing. I used to think you and the others were sorta pathetic, with all the worrying that you guys do. All the stress and tension and angst. But now I’m as bad as the rest of you.” The wolf looked toward Liam, who had started playing a game of catch with Tori and Nolan. “I’m also jealous as hell.”

Knowing he wasn’t going to like the answer, Theo couldn’t stop himself from asking why.

A wry smile twisted Brett’s mouth as he met Theo’s stare. “Look at Derek and Laura. At Cora. You’ve got the magic cure now, too, Theo. Someone who not only gives a shit if you live or die, but if you’re happy. Sad. Someone who would rather see a smile on your face more than anything else in the world.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he snarled, feeling as if he was being shoved out to the edge of a cliff, the ground crumbling beneath his feet. Any second now, he was going to be in free fall, with nowhere to go but down.

The wolf gave another husky laugh as Liam overthrew Tori’s head by about five feet, the ball rolling into the parking lot and under a car. Then he looked back toward Theo, saying, “I’m talking about—”

Theo struggled to hear the rest of his explanation, but the sound of Brett’s voice was suddenly drowned out by the heavy chugging of diesel engines as a trio of semis pulled into the rest stop, the acrid scent of their exhaust so strong, it nearly made him gag. Looking around, he felt an uneasy feeling settle heavily in his gut as he realised the trucks had separated Nolan, who had gone to retrieve the ball, from Liam and Tori. With a sharp curse, Theo started running, fully aware that he was probably overreacting. But he couldn’t stop the thundering beat of his heart, or the nauseating spill of fear that was quickly working its way through his system.

The second eighteen-wheeler had stopped right in front of them, waiting for the one in front to park, and with Brett right on his heels, Theo quickly made his way toward the back of the truck. “It’s going to be fine,” he muttered under his breath, his beast prowling beneath his skin, as agitated as the man. “Nothing’s going to happen. He’s going to be okay. Both of them are.”

But the instant he made his way around the end of the trailer, getting a clear view of the other side, he let out a bloodthirsty roar of fury, the savage sound echoing over the engines, torn up from the very depths of his soul. A panic-induced, surreal sense of time and space flooded his system, skewing his sense of perception, as if everything around him was happening in excruciatingly slow motion. A thick, crackling static of white noise filled his head, blotting out all other sound, his legs pumping as he powered himself forward through air that felt as viscous as honey, his right arm already reaching behind him, his fingers grasping for his gun.

The playground was silent.

Still.

Empty.

And neither Liam nor Tori was anywhere in sight.


	15. Chapter 15

It’d happened so quickly, there’d been no time to react. One second Liam had been watching Nolan run after Tori’s ball, and in the next, he and Tori were being abducted, carried beneath the arms of their captor as he ran through the woods, spiriting them away from the rest stop. He couldn’t see his face clearly, the shadows thickening as he moved farther into the dense wood, but he had no doubt that he was one of the enemies. A Beast. A monster. One who would kill them both if given half the chance. Though his face appeared human, the hands clutching their bodies had been transformed into gnarled, long-fingered claws that could slice open flesh with nothing more than an easy flick of his wrist.

It seemed unthinkable that they’d ended up in such a deadly situation because of a toy. Because of a pretty little pink ball, and the pathetic fact that he threw like a friggin’ girl.

But it was true.

Their only hope was Theo and his friends. Liam knew the men would be coming for them, no doubt following his scent, but he screamed as well, while Tori cried at the top of her lungs. Between the two of them, they were making enough racket to lead the others to their location. If they could manage to catch up. The man holding them moved with supernatural speed, the trees flashing by so quickly that they were nothing more than a blur of branches and leaves. He didn’t know how far they’d travelled, but it was obvious that he needed to do something to slow him down. That he had to find a way to buy Theo enough time to reach them.

_ And what if he doesn’t? What then? _

With a violent shake of his head, he refused to go there. He’d think of a way to give Theo his chance. And for the moment, Tori still wore the cross, which would offer his niece a measure of protection, though Liam didn’t doubt that the man - the Beast - would try to take it from Tori if he could.

He didn’t know how long he’d been screaming, but eventually his voice grew too hoarse to be effective, his lungs burning from lack of sufficient air, his body aching from the jarring force of being trapped beneath the man’s arm as he ran over the rugged terrain. Tori’s cries had drained to broken whimpers, and Liam did his best to reassure her, shouting that he loved her, that everything was going to be okay, until his voice faded to a croak. He tried to twist his head around so that he could see his niece, but they were being held with their backs to his sides, so all he could manage was a view of the back of Tori’s dark head, her small hands pounding against the man’s hard-muscled arm.

“’Bout time you stopped that bloody screeching,” he grunted, still running at a hard, steady pace, his clothes wet with sweat, sticking to his skin. Liam craned his neck, struggling to see his face, but the poor lighting and constant motion made it difficult to focus, his stomach roiling. He had a vague impression of a square, brutish-looking jaw and bald head, his chest and shoulders huge, his height easily over six feet.

“I can smell it, human.” His lip curled, the guttural words thick with things he didn’t want to think about. Rage. Lust. Hunger. “Smell that hot blood pumping through your veins.”

Liam had been racking his brain for something he could do - for some way that he could stall him - and he suddenly realised that the Beast had just given him the answer.

His scent. His blood.

His stomach churned at the thought of what he had to do, but he forced the fear away, determination and adrenaline fueling his actions. No matter what happened to him, he had to give Tori a chance to escape. Had to give Theo the opportunity to rescue the precious little girl.

Taking a deep breath, he bit his lip, closed his eyes…and jabbed his forearm against the tip of one of the scalpel-sharp claws wrapped around his waist. Then he tugged, sleeve and skin ripping open as the claw sliced through his arm like a knife through butter. Choking back an agonised cry of pain, he cracked his eyes open and inspected the damage, stunned by how much blood had already spilled out of the wound, drenching the torn sleeve of his hoodie.

His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep, snarling breath, then stumbled…his pace slowing enough that the trees around them began to take shape. He weaved, almost as if he was drunk, as they entered a small clearing. But he wasn’t weakening. If anything, Liam could feel the power in his body growing…building, like a volcano that was getting ready to erupt in a thundering act of violence.

Throwing back his head, he bellowed a stark, guttural cry, then shifted his arm, throwing Liam to the ground. He landed on his hip, the impact momentarily knocking the air from his lungs. Scrambling back on his hands and knees, his fingers digging into the fallen leaves and cold earth, Liam stared up at the ravenous, lust-glazed look on his sweating face. With a sharp pang of relief he realised he had his full attention, his ice-blue gaze fixed on the crimson spill of blood pouring down his arm, soaking into the leaf-covered floor of the forest. Licking his bottom lip, he carelessly dropped Tori’s small body to the ground and took a step toward Liam.

It was nearly impossible to keep his worried gaze from seeking out Tori, but he was determined not to draw his attention back to the child. Instead, Liam prayed Tori would run for help, getting herself to safety.

“Who are you?” he croaked, hoping to distract him with questions. Every second he could keep him talking bought them time. “Why are you doing this? You know they’ll find us. The Pack can track us anywhere!”

“I know that, you little bastard!” His lips pulled back over his teeth, his face dripping with sweat as he paced at his feet, his shoulders hunched, thick muscles hard with aggression. “You think I’m stupid?”

“I think you’re going to be dead if you don’t run.”

“Shut up!” he roared. The vicious sound bled into a low, keening groan, and he curled his arms over his head, every muscle bulging beneath his skin. He was clearly fighting an internal battle with himself, his pale blue eyes bright with madness as he stared at his blood-covered arm with almost worshipful intensity. “I don’t have time for this,” he hissed as he began to prowl around his body in a tight circle, his movements becoming less human and more like that of an animal. His nostrils flared wider as he sucked in deep, ragged pulls of air. “But that smell. It’s too good.” Thick, guttural words that shook with need. “Good enough to make me think you’ll be worth the consequences.”

His first instinct was to get up and run, but he’d seen how fast he could move. “Are you not supposed to kill me, then?” he asked, watching from the corner of his eye as Tori began to creep away from the small clearing on her hands and knees. Liam silently urged the little girl to move faster, wanting her as far away from the monster as possible.

“We’ve been warned about feeding.” His corded throat twisted, jerking at an unusual angle, as if something inside him was trying to fight its way out. “Warned about not…not taking the things we need.” A slow, evil grin spread across his wide mouth. “You wanna know what I need? You under me. Screaming. Bleeding. Just like that sister of yours bled for Adrian.”

Closing his eyes, Liam fought a rising wave of nausea. His relief that he’d forgotten about Tori in his blood-frenzy was sharp - and yet he couldn’t help but be terrified by his words. “How did you find me?” He finally managed to scrape out the words, forcing his lids to crack open. Better to keep an eye on him, since he didn’t have any idea when he would lose control and attack.

A low, arrogant laugh rumbled up from his chest. “I’ve been on your trail for hours. Just waiting. Biding my time.” He lifted one clawed hand, wiping the back of his wrist over his damp mouth. “When those trucks pulled in, the opportunity was too good to resist.”

“So you came by yourself, then?”

“There’s no one else,” he muttered, his claws making a clicking sound as he flexed his fingers. “Only me. I didn’t want to risk anyone else getting in my way.”

A flash of movement just to his left caught his eye, and to his horror he spotted Tori peeking out from behind the nearest oak tree. No! Instead of running away, the little girl had stayed, probably afraid to leave Liam alone with the monster.

As if fate was determined to conspire against him, the wind suddenly surged from the east, brushing past Tori’s dark curls, and the Beast froze, his eyes narrowing as he whipped his head in Tori’s direction. “Where do you think you’re going? Get over here, you little brat. I didn’t say you could go anywhere.”

“Tori, run!” he screamed, reaching out and wrapping his arms around his left leg. Liam knew, in the back of his mind, that he wasn’t strong enough to hold him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try. He’d bite and scratch and kick if he had to. He was more than willing to let the bastard rip him to shreds, so long as it meant Tori could get away. His heart twisted as he thought of never seeing Theo again, but he knew he would understand. That he would have done the same thing if it meant protecting a child. “Get out of here! Run back to Theo!”

“Shut up,” the Beast snarled, reaching down and twisting his gnarled, claw-tipped fingers in Liam’s hair. He wrenched him to his feet, pulling a low groan from his throat. Tori screamed, running toward them, only to be stopped when Nolan suddenly burst through the trees, putting his tall body in front of the little girl as he levelled a gun at the Beast’s chest. Liam nearly sagged with relief, his wild gaze scanning the trees, searching for the others. Where was Theo? Brett?

“Tori,” Nolan said in a low, easy voice, “I want you to stay behind me. You got that, honey?”

The Beast curled his lip, eyeing Nolan with a hot, malevolent stare. “Well, look who it is. You’re like a bad penny, Holloway. You just keep turning up. First Washington. Now here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a thing for me.”

“We have you surrounded.” Noah’s deep voice rang with cool, steady confidence. “Let the man go.”

“I don’t think so,” the Beast drawled, bringing him closer to his body. “I like him right where he is.” His voice sank to a sneer. “I gotta tell ya, Douglas has big things planned for your family, half-breed.”

Nolan lifted his brows, looking for all the world as if he was discussing nothing more interesting than the weather. “Douglas? Oh…yeah, I remember. From what the other Beasts have said, we figure he’s some kind of chicken-shit leader who’s still hiding out in Eichen, too afraid to show his face.”

The Beast snorted. “Be cocky now, human. But when Douglas finally comes across, maybe it’ll be your pretty little face he’s wearing.”

Liam reeled, unable to believe what he was hearing. Looking between Nolan and the Beast, there was no denying that their eyes were the exact same icy, piercing shade of blue. Understanding slowly dawned, and he swallowed the bile that rose in his throat, a new flavour to the panic that had seized his body and his mind. He got it now - why Nolan had always seemed a little something more than human. He was descended from a human female who had been with one of the Beasts before they’d been imprisoned, which meant that his family could act as hosts to the escaping Beast shades.

His thoughts spun as he tried to wrap his mind around it - the fact that one of Theo’s friends could actually become one of the bad guys. That Nolan was a walking human shell for the monsters. Hysterical, he struggled in the Beast’s hold, his eyes tearing from the pain as he pulled his hair even tighter, the tips of his toes only just brushing the ground. He fought harder, driven by the knowledge that he had to reach Tori. Had to get her out of there, away from the madness and the danger.

“I told you to shut up,” the Beast snarled in his face, shaking him, and he realised the screams filling his head were his own. “Stop the bloody screaming or I’ll-”

“You won’t be doing anything,” Brett barked in a hard, deep voice, “except what I tell you to do.”

_ Brett! _ Liam’s eyes went wide when he spotted the wolf moving in from the Beasts right side with his gun held in front of him, the barrel pointed directly at the monster’s chest, same as Nolan’s. The Beast turned his head, a low, gritty bark of laughter slipping from his lips, as if he thought the situation was funny. “You shoot me,” he drawled, scraping the claws of his other hand lightly across his throat, “and there’s no telling what will happen to Liam here.”

The monster took a step back, dragging him with him, and from the corner of his eye he saw Nolan take a step toward Tori, who had moved off to his left so that she could see what was happening. The rational part of Liam’s brain knew he just wanted to put himself between his niece and the Beast, but he couldn’t stifle the scream that stopped him in his tracks, the words ripping up out of him unstoppable and cruel. “Don’t touch her! Just…just stay away from her!”

Nolan’s face pulled tight, but he didn’t argue. He simply raised his free hand in a sign of consent, letting him know he wouldn’t move any closer to Tori.

The Beast barked another low laugh and shook his head. “So judgmental,” he drawled, the truth of his words only intensifying the guilty, sour feeling in his stomach. He blinked away the tears blurring his vision, still scanning the edges of the clearing, searching for Theo. Why wasn’t he there? Had something happened to him? Had he decided he wasn’t worth the trouble?

A sharp pain twisted through his middle - this one born completely from emotion, rather than a physical wound - and he swallowed, silently praying that he would appear with the next heavy beat of his heart. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and then he felt it, as if there was something electric in the air. He could taste it on his tongue. Feel it shivering across his skin. A heavy, pervasive sense of something powerful watching from the shadowed woods, silently waiting. Was it Theo? Or someone else? Friend…or enemy?

Brett still had his gun trained on the Beast, and he lifted the barrel, aiming it right at the monster’s temple. “Where are your Dread buddies? The Collective soldiers who follow you guys around, cleaning up your messes?”

“I left them behind.” The claws at his throat made a sickening pass down the front of his body, sweeping low across his pelvis, and he sucked in his breath, wondering if Brett would take his shot. But he waited, obviously too afraid of the Beast cutting her open.

“Not very smart of you to come without your pals,” Brett drawled, arching one eyebrow.

“I’m not afraid of a few Pack members,” he claimed with cocky arrogance. “And I wanted to make sure I had the human to myself before handing over the kid. Me and him are gonna have a real special time together,” he added, snickering under his breath.

A deep, chilling snarl suddenly rumbled in the branches above their heads, the thick sound reminding Liam of some kind of predatory jungle cat, feral and wild and deadly. As the Beast’s gaze swung upward, toward the lofty branches, he twisted to his right, bringing his left knee up and slamming it into the bastard’s groin. He grunted in pain, his hold on his hair loosening as he hunched forward, and he was able to drop to the ground. He’d just rolled to his back when he let out a bloodcurdling roar, pulling back one claw-tipped arm as he prepared to swipe at him, his face twisted into a grotesque expression of hatred and rage. Opening his mouth, Liam was ready to scream for Brett to shoot, when Theo’s body went soaring over his head, as if he’d launched himself from one of the trees. His mouth fell open in shock as he realised he must have been hiding among the highest branches, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His trajectory should have had him crashing straight into the Beast, but he twisted at the last second in a sinuous, catlike move, swiping a lethal-looking set of claws across the monster’s gut before landing with perfect balance on the balls of  his feet.

“Well, if it isn’t the chimera,” the Beast sneered, clutching one clawed hand against his shredded stomach. Blood oozed through his fingers, dripping onto the leaf-covered ground. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

“Get away from him, Li.” Theo didn’t take his glittering amber gaze off the Beast as he spoke to him, his claws battle-ready at his sides, long fangs glistening beneath the curve of his upper lip.

“He can run, but you can’t protect him,” the monster drawled, stepping to the side.

“Like hell I can’t.” Theo’s mouth curled in a mean smile, the hungry glint in his golden eyes giving the impression that he couldn’t wait for the fight to begin as he countered the Beast’s move. Pushing himself to his feet, Liam ran for Tori, while keeping one eye on Theo. He was mesmerised by the sight of him. By the raw, animal intensity of his rage.

“You kill me,” the Beasts rasped, “and something so much worse is going to come for him. He’ll tear him apart, piece by piece, and laugh while he’s doing it.”

Theo flexed his claws, his muscles bulging beneath the dark sheen of his skin. “He’ll have to get through us first, and that’s not gonna happen.”

“You won’t be able to stop him.” His skin began to ripple, as if something was moving around inside him, and Liam shoved Tori behind him, knowing he was getting ready to change into his Beast form. “He’ll find him, take him and then he’s gonna bleed for him like a stuck pig,” he added, his voice turning deeper, grittier, the shape of his mouth changing as bones began to pop and crack, reshaping themselves into something monstrous. “And knowing him, he’ll make sure the kid is there to see the whole show. Hell, he might even decide to take the little witch for himself.”

Theo went deathly still, sliding a dark, tortured look toward him and Tori. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was across the clearing and yanking the Beast off his feet. Stunned, Liam watched him drag the monster into the trees, both of them disappearing from sight.

“Theo!” he cried out, lifting Tori into his arms and covering her little ears so that the child couldn’t hear the horrific sounds tearing through the woods. There were low, gritty words that he couldn’t understand, followed by vicious snarls and stark, screaming cries of pain. “What’s happening?” he gasped, taking a step forward, terrified that Theo was going to be hurt. “What is he doing?”

“Leave him,” Brett muttered, grabbing hold of his arm.

“What?” He whipped around, thinking the wolf must have lost his mind. “Leave him? Are you crazy? That thing was already changing form!”

Another high-pitched cry cut through the forest, followed by a deep, menacing growl. “Theo’s got it under control,” Brett grunted, slanting a meaningful look toward Tori. He understood what he didn’t want to say in front of the little girl. That Theo wouldn’t be coming back until he’d destroyed the Beast, sending its shade back to Eichen.

“Oh, God,” he whispered, feeling as if his knees were going to give out. He didn’t know if he was going into shock, but he was acutely aware of his body slipping away from him.  _ Or maybe it’s simply the ground slipping away _ , he thought fuzzily, tightening his arms around Tori’s body just as Brett caught hold of his shoulders.

“I’ll get them back to the car,” he said in a low voice, glancing at Nolan. “You stay here. Try to get Danny on the phone and let him know what’s happened. Then wait for him to finish.”

As more guttural roars ripped through the forest, Brett lifted him and Tori into his arms…then got them the hell out of there.


	16. Chapter 16

_ Iowa _

_ Sunday night _

Strange how one small, innocuous event, like overthrowing a ball, could lead to such terror. Liam had never known fear like he had in those minutes that he’d spent with the Beast - and he still hadn’t managed to get over it. Even now, hours later, his hands continued to shake.

By the time Brett had carried him and Tori through the forest and back to the rest stop, Danny Mahealani had arrived and was waiting for them, having already spoken to Nolan on his phone. He’d parked in the far corner of the parking lot, and the falling twilight had offered a measure of privacy as he’d used his well-stocked first aid kit to tend to Liam’s bleeding arm. After giving him a shot of antibiotics, the slender shape-shifter had cleansed the wound, then used a row of small, neat stitches to hold it together. Liam had sat through the entire process in a numb state of shock, while Brett talked to Tori, promising her that Theo was going to make it back safe and sound.

The instant Danny was finished bandaging his arm, they had quickly taken to the road. Liam and Tori had ridden with Brett in his car, and Danny followed in a rental. When Nolan finally called Brett’s cell phone, letting them know that the Beast was dead and that he and Theo were heading back to the truck, Liam had nearly sobbed with relief. He’d spent the next hour of the drive just talking to Tori, and was immeasurably thankful, if not a little surprised, to find that his niece was handling the aftermath better than he was. Liam didn’t know if it was Tori’s McCall blood that enabled her to process the terrifying event so quickly and put it behind her, or if the little girl was simply burying the trauma, but he couldn’t argue the fact that Tori appeared to feel safe and secure. When Tori had finally asked to watch a movie, Brett had done his best to keep Liam occupied with conversation, probably so that he wouldn’t have time to think about what had happened and freak out on him. But he’d been able to learn a lot from their talks.

The first thing Brett had done was explain about Nolan, and he’d winced every time he recalled how he’d reacted when the Beast had revealed the truth about Nolan’s bloodline. He’d asked questions about his family, and had learned that he had several siblings back at home in California. When he’d joined forces with their Pack unit and the Hales to fight against the Beasts, he’d left the running of his Bay Area bar in the hands of his youngest brother, and had quickly proven himself a valuable addition to their team. According to Brett, Nolan was determined to keep his family from being used as “meat puppets” by the Beasts, and Liam didn’t blame him.

They’d also talked about the search for the Markers, and Brett had explained why they couldn’t just use modern equipment, such as metal detectors, to locate a cross once they had an idea of its location. Apparently they’d run extensive tests back at the Preserve on the first Marker that Cora had found, and discovered that the crosses were made of some kind of strange alloy they hadn’t been able to identify, almost as if the materials used in their composition were “not of this earth.” In each of their tests, technology had proven useless in the recovery of the crosses - which meant they would just have to keep on digging for them the old-fashioned way.

Liam had also asked about the mysterious maps Cora Hale had found, and had been given a quick explanation regarding the unusual powers that the Hale siblings possessed. He’d learned that Derek sometimes had instances of precognition in his dreams, while Laura’s telekinetic powers enabled her to control physical objects with her mind, and Cora’s power made it possible for her to “hear” objects when she touched them.

Then Brett had gone back to the topic of the maps, explaining that Marcel had actually managed to steal them during Cora’s awakening, though Theo and his friends had eventually gotten them back. And even though the Pack wasn’t sure that Marcel had made copies of the maps while they were in his possession, they were holding on to the hope that it would take him a long time to crack the complicated code they were written in, the way Cora had done with the use of her power. But Brett also admitted that there was something more about the situation that bothered them. According to the wolf, Marcel had actually tried to kidnap him while they were searching for the third Marker in Washington, in hopes that he could exchange Brett for the key to the code. But since that time, no other attempts had been made to take any hostages from their unit, which raised the question of why. One of the obvious conclusions was that Marcel no longer felt he needed to make the exchange, which meant that he was more than likely on to the way to decoding the maps himself.

The last question he’d asked the wolf, just before they’d stopped for the night, was why he hadn’t shot the Beast when he’d had the chance, and Brett had responded with a wry, gruff bark of laughter, saying, “I wanted to drill the ugly son of a bitch with a bullet so bad I could taste it, but Theo had made it clear that he wanted the bastard for himself. Still, I’d have taken the shot there at the end, if Theo hadn’t been about to make his move.”

It was after ten now, and Liam found himself sitting at a kitchen table in yet another hotel suite, surrounded by calming shades of blue and cream, while inside his head everything was still flashing with bright, chaotic streaks of orange and red and yellow. Nolan and Theo had arrived not long after them, but he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Theo. He’d headed straight for one of the rooms, not even making eye contact with him, though he’d stopped long enough to lean down and give Tori a fierce hug that had nearly brought tears to Liam’s eyes.

After Theo had locked himself away, Liam had pulled Nolan aside and apologised profusely for his earlier behaviour, admitting that he had no excuse for reacting the way he had. He’d accepted his apology with an easy smile and told him not to worry about it, claiming he would have done the same in his situation. Undone by his kindness, Liam had argued that he was letting him off far too easily, and he’d laughed as he’d given him a brotherly hug, promising him that his feelings weren’t hurt - then teasingly accused him of trying to ruin his tough-guy reputation by insinuating that he had feelings to begin with.

Seeing as it had been hours since any of them had eaten, they’d ordered in room service, no one up to heading over to the hotel’s restaurant, and then Tori had cuddled up on the sofa and quickly fallen asleep. Despite the stormy weather, Brett and Nolan had gone out to run patrol, and Liam had a feeling they’d asked the other pack member to keep an eye on him while they were gone. Not that he minded. He actually liked Danny, and found him easy to get along with. Though the man was incredibly attractive - tall and slender, with shadowy gray eyes and a heart-shaped face - he had a friendly, comfortable way about him that made him seem like one of those people you’d known forever, even when you’d only just met.

They’d been sharing some quiet conversation about little things, from movies to music to their favourite drinks at Starbucks, but no matter how hard Liam tried, he couldn’t keep his eyes off Theo’s bedroom door. Couldn’t stop remembering how he’d looked when he’d faced off against the Beast that afternoon. He’d been vicious and violent in his fury, but breathtaking, too, in a beautiful, visceral way. He desperately wanted to go to him, but feared his rejection. He hadn’t even spared him a glance when he’d come in, making it clear that he wanted nothing to do with him. When Brett had caught his shattered expression, he’d told him not to worry about it, claiming that Theo was just crashing after the adrenaline high. But he wasn’t convinced.

He hadn’t forgotten the look in his eyes when he’d slid that last dark glance toward him and Tori, before dragging the Beast away to kill him. There’d been fury there, as well as something more. Something that had reached into his chest and fisted around his heart like a physical pain.

And it was still hurting.  _ Aching. _

Carefully lifting the mug that Danny had set in front of him, Liam took a sip of tea and winced from the throbbing in his wounded arm…then winced again as a muted crash came from behind Theo’s door, a strange, almost animal-like sound bleeding through the walls. “Something’s wrong with him,” he whispered, tightening his fingers around the warm mug.

Danny gave a delicate snort. “Yeah. He had the crap scared out of him today. As far as wake-up calls go, this one was probably like a knife in the ribs.”

Liam chewed on the corner of his mouth as another strange sound reached their ears, this one pitched low, as if something were in pain. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened when he’d been alone with the Beast. Had something been said that upset him? Something about his family? Or Tori?

Danny leaned forward in his chair, bracing his crossed arms on the pine tabletop. “You should go to him, Liam. I’m sure today was rough on him. Theo doesn’t handle things very well that have to do with kids.”

His gaze flew toward the other man, wide with curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“He tends to lose it when he sees a child hurt or in danger. I know any sane person would, but it gets to him in a way that’s hard to explain.”

Liam recalled touching his scarred wrist in the truck and how he’d said the marks were made when he was young, as well as his claim to have killed the ones responsible, and though he’d been doing his best to fight it, an idea began to take form in his mind. One that was too horrific to even contemplate. But he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What happened to him?”

Danny leaned back in his chair, clutching his tea against his chest, his eyes sad as he stared at the red poppies decorating the mug’s surface. “It’s Theo’s story to tell. But he’s more than just a pretty face and a smart-ass attitude.” He lifted his gaze, his mouth curling in a lopsided smile. “If you want my opinion, he’s used a long list of nameless idiots over the years to try and help him forget, but it hasn’t worked. He locks it down, but eventually something happens that makes it all come bubbling back to the surface. Something like today.”

“Used them? You mean for sex?”

Danny gave another soft snort. “You know how guys think, as if the answer to everything is hanging between their legs. And for a chimera, like Theo, it’s even worse. Their sex drives are legendary among the clans, rivaling even that of the Hale and the Walcotts.”

So many questions rushed through his mind, tripping over themselves in their eagerness to be answered. What was a chimera? Why did it make his sexual needs so intense? But the one Liam found himself asking was “Are you saying that he needs sex tonight?” The words came out shaky and low, his mind suddenly filling with the memory of how easily he’d dragged the Beast out of the clearing that afternoon. Shuddering, he broke out in a piercing wave of chills. He knew that Theo would never hurt him, but he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to experience even a fraction of the power he was capable of.

“I’m saying that he needs you.”

Knowing Danny could probably read every ounce of longing on his face, he looked toward his door again, then back toward the sofa where Tori was cuddled up sucking her thumb, her small arm strangling the teddy bear Theo had bought for her.

“Go on,” Danny said in a soft voice. “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on Tori for you.”

“Thanks,” he whispered, his heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings as he pushed back his chair and stood up. One more question lingered on the tip of his tongue, since he still wasn’t sure exactly what kind of animal Theo carried inside him. But he was too nervous to get the words out. The Beast had called him “wolf,” but then Brett had called him a chimera. Did that make him a hybrid of some kind?

As if reading his mind, Danny said, “Whatever you find in there, don’t be scared. Sometimes, after a fight, it’s necessary for our kind to unwind a bit. But it’s still Theo, and you know he’d rather die than hurt you.”

Liam gave a slow nod as he moved across the room on trembling legs, wondering exactly what Danny meant by “unwind.” Without giving himself time to worry about it, he took hold of the doorknob, twisted and walked into his room. Darkness stole his sight, but he pushed the door shut behind him. Pale slivers of moonlight peeked from around the edges of the drapes, and as he waited, his eyes slowly began to make sense of the shadows. He could hear the harsh, heavy staccato of Theo’s breathing on the other side of the room, but couldn’t see him. Not yet. Then he stalked forward, moving into one of the milky streams of light, and a massive wolf with mottled brown and black fur filled his vision, its huge paws padding silently over the carpeted floor.

It came to a stop in the center of the room, and all Liam could think was  _ Oh, my God. Ohmygod…Ohmygod…Ohmygod… _

The animal’s massive head was cocked a little to the side, and its bright amber eyes stared back at him, sharp with intelligence, glittering with awareness. As he stood there in the pale glow of light, he had the strangest sense that he wanted to come closer, but was wary of how he would respond. Of frightening him away.

It took a moment to find his voice, but he finally managed to say, “So, you’re bigger than I expected.”

He chuffed a rough sound under his breath, almost as if he was laughing. But there was a shadow of something dark hanging over him, the intensity of his emotions blasting against him like a physical force. He could see the longing in his eyes. Could sense how badly he needed comfort, someone to hold on to him, and his fear melted away like snowflakes beneath the burning warmth of the sun.

With his back braced against the door, Liam slid down to the floor and stretched out one hand, calling him to him with the silent offering. He came forward slowly…cautiously, until his fur-covered head nuzzled against his chest. He funneled her fingers through the soft, thick fur on the back of his strong neck, feeling the powerful shift of muscle beneath his hot skin as he drew in a series of deep, ragged breaths. And then, like a dam cracking apart, allowing the rushing waters to flood through, Liam began to cry. Fat, salty tears that he had no hope of stopping or controlling. He wasn’t even sure he could explain what the tears were for, understanding only that they were as essential as the air shuddering in his lungs, the blood coursing through his veins.

Then the unthinkable happened, and Liam could have sworn that he started to cry, too. The sounds were rougher than human tears, rawer, like something angry and hard being shredded inside him, and his heart softened in a warm, breathtaking wave of tenderness, until it was nothing more than a hot, burning glow in his chest. “It’s okay,” he whispered, stroking his fur as he curved herself over him, around him, cradling him in his arms. “I’m here. I won’t leave you.”

Hours could have crept by, or perhaps only a handful of minutes. Liam didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He was content to be where he was, whispering to him in the darkness, careful to keep his voice soft…soothing, gentling him until his breathing had grown calm. Eventually he lifted his head, the wolf’s face close to his as he stared deep into his eyes. He cocked his head a little to the side again, and he gave him a trembling, watery smile.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, running his fingertips over his face, awed by the sheer, miraculous wonder of him. He had thought he would be terrified if he ever saw him in his animal form. That the beast would be foreign…unknown. But it was no stranger who stared back at him through those golden, hypnotic eyes. It was Theo, and in that instant the horrifying realisation burned through Liam’s mind that he was falling in love with him. The crazy, rushing, head-over-heels kind of falling that he couldn’t defend against, couldn’t fight. “I think…” He swallowed, working for his broken voice. “I think you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

He gave a deep, rumbling purr, then licked the side of his face.

“Uck,” he groaned, laughing as he wiped away the drool, and again he could have sworn the rough sound he made deep in his chest was laughter. In that moment, everything inside him churned into a desperate, needy ache that only he could ease, and he knew that he was tired of running from the inevitable. Tired of fighting what he wanted so badly to happen.

Liam ran his hands down the sides of his face, his throat, his voice trembling with raw, devastating need as he said, “Change back, Theo. Now. Change back for me.”

He looked away, tensing, and he grabbed his thick fur, pulling until he was staring at him again. “Change back,” he whispered, holding nothing back, letting everything he felt inside bleed into his expression. “I need you here with me. Right now.”

He shuddered beneath his hands, then pulled away, slipping out of his hold. Panicking, he scrambled to his knees, ready to chase him down, until he realised he was already shifting back to his human shape, right before his eyes. It felt as if he’d fallen into some kind of magical universe as he watched thick fur melt into sleek, silken skin, his bones cracking as they reshaped themselves into the familiar, breathtaking body that never ceased to dazzle him, melting him down into a thick, molten burn of hunger and lust. As his muscles rippled beneath his skin, he fell away from him, sprawling across the floor on his back, the pale streams of moonlight illuminating his dark, dangerous beauty.

Before he’d even fully completed the change, Liam crawled over him, straddling his ridged stomach, his hands reaching for his damp face. He shuddered beneath him, his golden eyes suddenly popping open, and he grasped his wrists, locking them in a manacle grip before he could touch him.

From one instant to the next, his expression turned savage, and he curled his lip. “I can’t believe I let that happen today.” The words emerged in a low, seething snarl, and he grasped his upper arms, giving him a little shake. “It was so stupid. I should have kept you locked in the truck. You both could have been killed. I could have lost you!”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he argued, fighting against his hold, mindless of the pain in his arm. “Damn it, Theo. Let go of me and let me touch you.”

His eyes squeezed closed as his head fell back against the floor, tendons straining in his throat from the arched position of his neck, his hands still gripping his arms, holding him away from him. “You shouldn’t want me.” Dull, emotionless words, as if he was the one shutting down now. “Not after what happened. Not after tonight. After seeing me like this.”

Frustration welled up like a froth of lava getting ready to explode. “Why? Because you’ve shown you have emotions like the rest of us?” he burst out in a hot, angry rush, struggling against his hold even harder. “God, you alphas are so thick headed sometimes! Now, let go of me before I scream!”

He released his hold on his arms and opened his eyes, his expression painfully grim as he dropped his hands to the floor. They curled into hard, tight fists, his body rigid beneath him, caught on a knife’s edge between need and rage. “Get out of here, Liam. Now.”

He lifted his chin, refusing to budge from his perch on his stomach. “No. I’m not going to go running just because you’re in a foul mood. So you got upset? So what? What’s the big freaking deal?”

“It’s dangerous to let out what’s inside me.” His breath jerked in his lungs, lifting his chest, his golden eyes burning with frustration and fury and lust. “Trust me, Li. It isn’t all teary and tender. Most of it is ugly and raw and black. Most of it would scare the shit out of you.”

“You don’t scare me, Theo. In fact, I’ll show you just how not scared I am of you,” he snapped, caught up in a complicated, powerful knot of desperation and love as he leaned down to press an openmouthed kiss against his left nipple. He reacted with a sharp jolt, as if he’d been struck by a crackling surge of electricity.

“What are you doing?” he snarled, staring with narrowed, suspicious eyes as he began to scoot back, kissing his way down his beautiful, muscular body. His massive erection jerked and pulsed between them as he kissed his way over his ribs, lingering on a smooth, curving scar. When his tongue dipped playfully into his belly button, the guttural sound that crawled up his throat was only part man. It should have terrified him, the sheer animal savagery of that sound, but it didn’t. If anything, it only made him hotter…hungrier.

“Answer me, damn it.” He was drenched with sweat, his eyes flashing between those of the man and the beast asshe dared a quick glance up at his face, watching as his anger reshaped itself into something dark and erotic. “What the hell are you doing, Li?”

With his hot male scent filling his head, he scooted lower, pressing a tender kiss to the healing welt on his thigh. The mind-boggling length of his erection bobbed at the edge of his vision, rising from its thick nest of curls, and he couldn’t wait to touch it. Hold it. “You’re a smart guy, Theo. Figure it out,” he said in a low voice just as he wrapped his cool hand around the heavy, vein-ridden shaft. His body went completely rigid, held in a straining vise of control, his eyes shocked wide, still red from his tears, but it only made him sexier, that ragged edge of emotion adding a fierceness to his features that spiked his need even higher. Or maybe that was just the excitement of holding him in his hand. The heady anticipation of knowing that he was going to take him into his mouth. His body. Or maybe it was everything. God, all he had to do was look at him and he was ready, more turned on than he’d ever been before.

Salty drops of moisture leaked from the shaft’s swollen, plum-sized head, and he used them to lubricate his hand, making his palm wet enough to glide along his length in a smooth, slick pumping action that had his lips pulling back over his sharp white teeth. His powerful body shuddered beneath him, his thick, ropy muscles defined in sharp relief beneath the burnished silk of his skin. And his eyes…his eyes burned with a hunger that was so savage and raw, he could only marvel at its existence.

“Last chance, Li. You need to get up and walk out of here. Right now. Or it’s going to be too late.”

“It was too late for me the second I set eyes on you,” he whispered, feeling as if he’d been caught up in a whirlpool that was sucking him down deeper…and deeper. But he wasn’t fighting the current. He wanted to be pulled under. Wanted to be battered by the waves, crushed by the stunning force of the currents. He wanted to be swept away. Lost. Taken.

And he wanted it now.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he told him, holding his burning gaze as he leaned down and licked the heavy, glistening head of his cock, the resulting tremor that shot through his body making him smile. “Not until we’ve finished what we’ve started, Theo.”


	17. Chapter 17

Wondering where the shy History teacher had gone, Theo glared down at the stunning seducer, who was driving him out of his mind, his touch so damn good his eyes were nearly rolling back in his head.

“You put your mouth on me again,” he forced out through his gritted teeth, “and I won’t be responsible for what happens. You understand me? And you’re not ready for it, Li.”

“Like hell I’m not.” A flash of temper sparked through his blue gaze, along with a heavy dose of frustration.

Reaching down, he fisted the fingers of his right hand in the silky strands of his hair, his voice a rough, guttural rasp as he tried once more to give him fair warning of what he was getting himself into. “I won’t be able to control myself, which means it’s not gonna be some sweet, easy ride. It’s gonna be me covering you, holding you down, buried about a mile in your body, going at you as hard as I can.”

“Good. Because that’s how I want it.”

Theo eyed him warily, afraid to believe what he’d just said. The staggering implications behind his husky words. That this was actually going to happen, here and now.

He was too on edge to handle it, still reeling from the crazy, chaotic storm of emotion he’d been dealing with since the moment he’d realised that he and Tori had been taken. The stark, chilling terror that had ripped him apart. Then finding that bastard with his hands on him. Hearing the vile things he’d said. It’d been like slipping into the most excruciating, heinous depths of hell, and now he’d been transported to heaven.

It made his head spin. Made him feel as if he was going to burst from his skin.

He tilted his head, pulling against his grip, and softly said, “Now let go of my hair, Theo.”

Struggling to keep himself as controlled as possible, he carefully exhaled the deep breath he hadn’t even realised he was holding and relaxed his fingers. He pulled away a little, the silken strands of dark brown slipping from his hold. Then he sent him a slow, hungry smile that made his muscles seize…and lowered his head again. Holding his narrow-eyed gaze, he opened his mouth and touched his tongue to the strained, damp head of his cock, the eager look in his eyes telling him that he was more than ready to handle the consequences of his actions. Lust erupted through his body with such savage, violent intensity that it arched his back, the sharp action nearly knocking him away. He gripped his hip with one hand to steady himself and opened his mouth wider.

“Deeper,” he growled, his soft moan making him see red as he took him in. “Suck it hard. You won’t hurt me. The harder you suck it, the better it fee-” He broke off, roaring, as his head fell back, a thick surge of hot fluid blasting into his mouth, though he hadn’t come. Not completely. Not yet. When his beast was so close to the surface, his orgasms changed, becoming different, building up in sharp, wrenching bursts until he finally crashed over the edge in what would undoubtedly be an explosive, jaw-grinding release.

“I’m not done,” he grunted, just in case he got the wrong idea and stopped, thinking he’d come - but he didn’t question him about what had happened…or pull away. He spread his legs and he slipped between them, managing to work another inch into his hot little mouth. Reaching down, Theo tangled both hands in the damp strands of his hair, pulling it away from his face so that he could watch him, the slick, wet suction breaking him down, destroying him.

“Wrap your hands around the base,” he groaned, each word punctuated by a hard, gasping breath. “I need to push, but don’t want to go too far.”

He understood, sliding his hands down to the thick root, and his hips surged up, thrusting his cock past those lush, tender lips. Theo had already known that it was too good for him to take much more, that he was pushing his control, and then he flicked his smoky gaze up to his face, his heavy-lidded eyes dark with pleasure, as if he was actually getting off on going down on him, and he almost lost it. “Stop,” he growled, tugging on his hair, only seconds away from coming. “Li. Stop!”

He pulled away, but not far, his shiny lips hovering over the dark, moist head of his shaft, his warm breath brushing against him as he said, “I don’t want to stop. I want you to finish in my mouth.”

“Next time,” he snarled. “Next time I’ll do whatever the hell you want. But right now I just need to be in you.”

Instead of giving him time to argue, Theo burst into action. Within seconds he had their positions reversed, his jeans unsnapped, unzipped and wrenched down his legs, along with his underwear. Then he spread his legs, his chest working like a bellows as he knelt between his thighs, his burning gaze riveted on his cock. He wanted to tell him how beautiful he was, how perfect, but the words were jammed up in his throat and he couldn’t get them out. All he could do was make a rough purring sound that vibrated in his chest as he dug his hands into those soft white thighs, leaned down and licked a long line up his cock before pushing his legs up further, baring that tight little hole to his ravenous gaze. Liam cried out as he immediately set to working him open with his tongue.

“Theo…a condom? Lube?” he gasped, his damp palms clutching his biceps, his short nails digging deliciously into his skin as he arched beneath him.

“Shit. Right. Sorry,” he muttered. Lust had obviously fried his friggin’ brain, and as he reached for his bag at the foot of the bed, rooting in the side pocket for a rubber and the compact bottle of lube he usually kept there, he could only shake his head at himself. What had happened to the hard, detached bastard who never let anything get under his skin? Who never let anything or anyone rattle his composure? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he was treading into treacherous territory with each hard, ragged breath jerking from his lungs, but he didn’t care.

Refusing to whine like a pathetic loser, Theo concentrated instead on the god-like creature sprawled before him, so perfect and sweet and gorgeous, he couldn’t understand what he was doing there with a twisted, screwed-up jackass like him. But he wasn’t going to question it. Later he could bitch and moan about things that could never be, but right now he was going to wallow in bliss and pretend, for a few stolen moments, that he could have everything he wanted.

He set the condom aside for now, instead looking at Li, who offered him a nervous smile, taking a shaky breath as Theo slicked his fingers, reaching between his legs to press one inside. Liam groaned, throwing his head back, and he watched him with dark eyes, preparing him as gently as he was able to, every muscle coiled tight, like a wire about to snap.

“Theo,” he gasped, reaching for him, the scent of his desire making the beast inside of him snarl possessively. He withdrew his fingers, carefully tearing the condom and rolling it over his aching cock. With the condom firmly in place, he ran his hands up the smooth surface of his inner thighs, over the jutting curve of his hip bones, until his fingers were resting against the soft skin of his stomach, fingers twitching against the dark hair there. “You have no idea how bad it’s been hurting, waiting to get you like this.”

“It’s been hurting me, too,” he whispered, his lips curved in a provocative smile. He wanted him, and the knowledge made Theo want to roar with primal satisfaction. It also made him desperate as hell. Grasping handfuls of his hoodie, he wrenched it up the line of his torso, his only moment of caution when he slipped it over his head and carefully pulled the hoodie down his injured forearm. He threw it aside and drank him in, eyes ravenously staring at the dark forest of hair that covered his chest, at the hard nipples that begged to be sucked, at the seductive way Liam sucked his lower lip into his mouth, biting down on it and then releasing it with a pop. Just about stopped his heart.

He was, by some miracle of biology, even harder than before. And his control was completely shot. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. And he sure as hell couldn’t stop.

One second he was rubbing his tongue against a sweet, stiff nipple, stroking the head of his cock against the slick pucker of his rim, and in the next, he was driving in too hard, too deep, too quickly. He cried out, stiffening beneath him, and Theo silently cursed himself for being so careless. He had to remember what he was. Human. Breakable. And he was an animal who liked to play rough.

“Damn it,” he rasped, while the rawest, most intense wave of pleasure he’d ever experienced scraped down his nerve endings, just from being inside him. A part of him. It all but turned him inside out, and he struggled to hold himself still. “I didn’t…I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You just caught me by surprise, but it’s okay,” he whispered, running his fingertips down the hot sides of his face, the tender touches so at odds with the sharp, visceral urges twisting him up inside, demanding satisfaction. “Trust me, Theo. Okay doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

The way he moaned those husky words pushed him further over the edge, shoving him into that dark, feral place that was all hunger and craving and lust, and he found himself pulling back, then lunging back in with a hard, hammering thrust that nearly took him to the root. “S-sorry,” he groaned against the side of his throat, bracing himself on his elbows. “Sorry. It just…it keeps getting away from me. You okay?”

“Better than okay,” he gasped, his fingers digging into his shoulders as he arched against him in a sweet, sensual act of submission that drove him out of his mind. He pushed himself up on his arms and pulled his hips back again, until only the head of his cock remained snugged up inside him. Then he looked down between their bodies, staring at the way he stretched him open as he fed himself back into him, inch by inch. He was so beautiful it dazed him, as if he’d been slammed by some metaphysical hammer upside his head. He tried to drag in air. Couldn’t. But hell, who needed air anyway? All he needed was this. Li pinned beneath him, his body naked and held wide open to him. His cock buried hard and deep inside of him, feeling every flutter of his walls clamping down deliciously on his cock.

“It’s too good,” he panted, pulling back…thrusting, riding him hard…harder, pumping into him, the heavy rhythm shoving him across the carpeted floor. “I need more,” he growled. “Need all of you.”

And he gave it to him, a total surrender of self that made his brain melt down. His eyes burned, his throat, his muscles and skin and blood, his body sweat-slick and heavy as he moved over him, stirring him up inside, forcing him to take more of him with each grinding, slamming thrust. Rough, animalistic sounds jerked from his throat as he clutched him, pumping his hips up to meet him, making him crazed. He’d been so terrified that when this moment came, the beast would be doing everything it could to claw its way out of him. But for the moment, the creature was as dazed as he was. It purred with pleasure, drunk on lust, moving with him, beneath his skin, as desperate for him as the man. He growled as another thick burst of fluid pulsed from his body, into the condom, and he buried himself deep, shuddering against him, his breath jerking from his lungs in sharp, violent gasps.

He blinked up at him, curious, waiting to see what he would do.

“Not done with you,” he muttered, barely managing to force out the rough, guttural words. He started moving again in hard, heavy lunges, loving the way he had to work against his body’s natural resistance, fighting to get inside him. “This isn’t over till you come for me, Liam.”

A flare of panic chased away the pleasure blush burning in his cheeks, his small white teeth sinking into his lower lip. He was so easy to read like this, his emotions blazing up at him, bright as the stars in a winter sky. He could see his self-doubt, the shades of self-consciousness that had always made him too tense to enjoy sex. To just let himself go. On the one hand Theo was outraged that he’d been denied something so many others took for granted, while on the other, there was a part of him that was savagely thrilled by the fact that no other man had ever been able to break through his walls and make him shatter for him.

“Why don’t you see it?” He rode him with a slow, deliberate rhythm, seeking out all those inner sweet spots that made him tremble and gasp when he rubbed against them, whipping him into a frenzy. “You’re so damn beautiful, Li. Every part of you. Inside and out.”

“I’m not, but it’s…it’s sweet that you think so.”

His mouth twitched with a crooked smile. “I’m not sweet.” The smile fell, his emotions roiling, surging from one extreme to the other with dizzying speed. “And I’m still furious with you for not listening to me today. I’ll never forget what it felt like when I realised you were gone. It scared the hell out of me.”

“It scared me, too.” He lifted his hand again, touching the side of his face. “But I knew you’d come for us, Theo. I knew you’d do everything that you could to save us.”

It made him feel desperate, the way he gazed up at him. For a moment he almost thought there was a warm glow of trust shimmering there in the liquid depths of his eyes. A glimmer of faith. And something even sweeter, richer, that he couldn’t put a name to. But he shook it off, figuring he must be mad. Hell, it wasn’t as if there was enough blood left in his brain for rational thought, anyway.

“Watch it, Li.” His voice was a dark, grating slash of command as he gripped her behind his knees and said, “Watch it go in.”

The colour in his face burned even brighter, but he lifted himself onto his elbows, doing as he said. His name fell from his lips in a soft, stuttering whisper that slipped under his skin, burning through the center of his body.

“Look how deep you take it.” He spread him wider, unable to get enough of how tight he was. How hot and wet and lush. “Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, the way you’re just swallowing me up. I want you to tell me how it feels.”

His heavy, luminous gaze flew up to his face. “What?”

“Don’t think,” he rasped, breathless. “Just talk. I’ve never…never asked someone to talk to me before, but I love the sound of your voice. I want it filling my head while I’m filling your body.”

He opened his mouth, but all that came out was a shy, shaky gasp. Theo slammed deep, then held there, rubbing against him, grinding his cock against his tight inner walls. Waiting. Teasing. Tormenting. Determined to get what he wanted. “I don’t move till you talk.”

“You can’t do that!”

His chest shook with a deep, husky bark of laughter. “Wanna bet?”

“Don’t you think that’s being a little manipulative?” he stammered, licking his bottom lip.

“Probably,” he conceded without an ounce of remorse. “But I need to hear it, Li. And I know you can do it. Any man who can come in here the way you did and demand I let him suck me off has enough courage to tell me what it feels like when I’m fucking him.”

It was a physical pain to keep it slow, fighting against the intense, primal demands of his body so that he could keep himself from coming. Not yet, damn it. Not until he’d given him what he needed.

“It feels hot,” he finally whispered, his face bright red. “Full.”

Shuddering, Theo pulsed inside him, his beast beginning to prowl the confines of his body with restless, predatory aggression. “Keep going,” he growled, fighting to hold the animal at bay.

“Thick. And deep.”

He made a rough sound in his throat. “You want it deeper?”

His eyes grew heavy and he nodded, pulling his lower lip through his teeth, the simple gesture inherently sensual. Impossibly erotic. And that was before he said, “I want you to take me, Theo. As hard and as deep as you can.”

He would have thrown back his head and roared with triumph if he hadn’t been working so hard to keep it together. After all, it wasn’t every day that a guy got the sweet, impossibly shy Liam Dunbar to talk dirty to him. He didn’t want to think about what his face must look like, the raw, savage intensity of his hunger for him no doubt cut into the grim lines of his expression, but he wasn’t cringing. Wasn’t shying away. He was glowing, as if some bright, incandescent light was burning beneath his skin.

“You’re slicked up enough for me to get in the last few inches. But they’re the…thickest part.” The grittiness of his voice betrayed his need. “Your call. Don’t wanna hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me. I…I want them, Theo. I want all of you. Everything that you have,” he panted, falling back to the floor as he loomed over him, his fingers biting into the backs of his knees. He took him at his word, slowly working his broad shaft into him. Deeper…then deeper still.

“Keep talking,” he demanded, forcing in those last thick, heavily veined inches. “Tell me how you want it, Li.”

“Harder,” he moaned, writhing beneath him. His face was cherry-red, his parted lips swollen and moist. “Faster!”

His ass clamped down on him as he gave him exactly what he’d asked for. Theo would have been terrified he was hurting him, if not for the way he grabbed his long hair and pulled him down to him. His mouth attacked his with a feral hunger as dark and desperate as his own, a breathless cry spilling into his mouth as he crashed violently over the edge, his ass convulsing around him in tight, greedy pulls as his cock spilled between their bodies. He would have broken the devastating kiss, gasping for air, but he took his hands from his knees, holding his head braced between his palms as he took control of his mouth, forcing him to keep kissing him while he kept on coming…and coming. It was, without any doubt, the most beautiful thing Theo had ever seen. The most breathtaking experience of his life. Like being caught in the center of a lashing storm, the orgasm drenched him, going on and on in a lush, clenching caress that pulled him right along with him, straight over the edge.

_ Want to come inside him _ , the beast snarled.  _ Flesh on flesh. Fill him up. _

He groaned, undone by the idea, trying to wrap his lust-racked mind around how he would react. It was one thing to want him as a man, but to come inside him without latex would mean accepting the parts of him that were more, and he didn’t trust him enough to take that chance. Hell, he didn’t trust him at all. Which meant that he was just going to have to suck it up and accept the fact that this was all he could ever have from him.

And it wasn’t as if he could complain. Not when the sex was already so good, it had all but blown the

memories of every other person from his mind, erasing them from existence.

“I’m going over,” he growled against his mouth, coming so hard that it hurt, the violent sensations ripping through him like a mind-shattering blast of light and sound and bone-melting heat. As his body released in hard, thick surges that damn near blew the top of his head off, the beast launched its attack, fighting to break free, his fangs beginning to descend in a sharp, hissing glide. Theo wanted to collapse against the lush cushion of his body, breathing in deep pulls of his warm, tantalising scent as his heart beat against his, and stay there…forever, but he had to move. That instant. Before the beast pushed him to do those things that could never be undone.

With residual pulses of pleasure still firing through his system, he reached down to hold the condom in place as he pulled out of him as carefully as he could, while those tight inner muscles struggled to hold him inside him. Rolling to his back, he threw one arm over his eyes and gritted his teeth, using everything he had to force the animal back into submission. It wasn’t easy. Was, in fact, one of the most difficult things he’d ever had to do.

Had he actually been stupid enough to think that he could screw this man out of his system? What a dumb ass. The experience had been life-changing, head-twisting stuff, and it sure as hell hadn’t eased a damn thing. He wanted nothing more than to go at him again, with nothing between them. His body shoved a mile inside him. His fangs buried in the smooth, tender curve of his throat, creating an unbreakable bond between them. One that would mark his sweet little ass as his - as well as make it impossible for him to ever leave him, no matter how deeply he grew to despise him.

_ I am completely losing it _ , he thought.

“Theo, are you okay?”

The concern in those breathless words made him cringe, and he locked his jaw, forcing out a gravelly “I’m fine.”

“You’re not. I can…tell that you’re lying. I wish you would just talk to me. Tell me what’s wrong.” Frustration bled through the quiet words, making them sharp. “God, I wish that you would tell me anything.”

Shaking his head, Theo rolled up into a sitting position, giving him his back as he moved to his feet and headed toward the bathroom. He got rid of the condom, then walked back into the room, grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt and began pulling them on. He didn’t look directly at Liam, but he was eating him up from the corner of his eye. He lay on the floor with his legs folded to the side, arms crossed over his chest, his skin steamy and pink and damp, driving him out of his mind. Making him go as hard as a friggin’ spike, as if he hadn’t just unloaded so violently he was still reeling from the pleasure. He wanted to say something to make it right, but knew that anything that might come out of his mouth at that moment would just be a mistake.

Something had happened to him - broken him open - and now too much was crashing down on him. Lingering fear of what he could have lost earlier that day. Soul-shredding terror at what might happen if he failed to protect them in the future. Not to mention how he would react if he ever learned all the dark, ugly truths about him. And then there was the lust, stronger than anything he could ever have imagined. That biting, twisting need for possession. Somehow it was all wrapped up in a strange, fragile weave of tenderness and longing and things he had no bloody frame of reference for.

It was dizzying, disorienting, and with no idea how to handle it, Theo sought the only option he could think of. Retreat. Hard and fast and necessary, if he was going to be smart and stop this thing before it snowballed any deeper into madness.

“Where are you going?” His voice reached out to him across the moonlit room, his gaze burning against his back as he pulled on his boots.

“You take the bed,” he told her. “It’s time for me to head out on patrol.”

It was a bullshit excuse, and he knew he thought the same. But he didn’t argue or bitch or demand that he stay as he grabbed a folded blanket off the foot of the bed, wrapping it around his naked body. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or absurdly irritated by his reaction, which didn’t make any sense, considering he was the bastard running out on him. With each second that passed by, it was getting harder to hold himself together, but he stopped at the door, knowing he owed him the truth before he left. At least about Tori. “Before I go, I need to tell you something. Something that bastard told me today. It’s about your sister.”

“Allison?”

“Yeah. You see, the way the McCall’s magnify emotions,” he explained in a low voice, still not looking at him, “it, uh, affected the Beast who took her life during the kill. That’s why they’re so desperate to get their hands on her daughter.”

Shocked silence, and then a soft, shaky rush of words. “But…but Tori’s not even in her powers yet.”

“Yeah, well, she will be soon.”

“How do you know that?”

“For those of us who aren’t human,” he murmured, hating the fear he could hear in his voice, “it’s easy to pick up.”

“Are you telling me that they want to kill an innocent little girl because it will…” He could barely get the words out, not that he blamed him. “What? Give them some kind of sick power high?”

“No,” he muttered, twisting the handle to open the door. Theo knew what his next words were going to do to him, but he couldn’t be the one to stick around and comfort him. Not tonight. Not after what had happened between them. “The Beasts don’t want her power, Li. They want to kill her because of how it would make them feel. Because to one of those sick sons of bitches, her death would be something that increased their pleasure. Something that made them feel…unbelievably good.”

And with those gruff, ominous words, Theo walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.


	18. Chapter 18

_ Prague, Czech Republic _

Isaac had been on the move, working to track down Aiden Steiner, since the moment he’d walked out of his hotel lobby late that afternoon. The body count of his fellow Pack was stacking up, and he wanted to know what was going on. Despite hitting all the Walcott haunts in town, as well as Steiner’s private apartment in the city, he’d been unable to find the vamp, and his frustration was mounting. Aiden hadn’t been in contact, and Isaac wanted answers to his questions.

It would be dawn in a few hours, which meant that his time was running out if he wanted to find Steiner before daybreak. There was one last nightclub that a young group of swan-shifters had suggested he check out, the club’s clientele reportedly more clan than human, and he was making his way there now. Cutting through an alley in one of the seedier parts of town, along the east side of the river, he turned left and headed down a dark, foggy lane that dated back centuries. Stone-faced buildings crowded close on both sides of the cobbled road, the only light provided by the occasional flickering gas lamp, the orange flames casting maniacal-looking shadows against the pale stone walls. Up ahead he could hear the muted beat of some jarring, god-awful modern dance music, and he frowned, finding it hard to believe that Aiden would actually hang out in a club that played that kind of crap, even if he was a vamp.

Making his way down the center of the road, Isaac had covered no more than half the distance to his destination when a low, eerie thread of laughter whispered through the foggy night, raising the tiny hairs on the back of his neck. The childlike sound twittered like bells, but when he looked behind him, there was no one else standing on the cobbled lane with him. As he turned in a slow circle, a thick, rank stench reached his nose, confirming his suspicion that he was finally getting a visit from whatever kind of creature had attacked Theo on Saturday morning.

“You gonna act like a coward?” he called out, his hard voice echoing off the ancient stone walls of the surrounding buildings. “Or show some balls and come out where I can see you?”

Turning in another slow circle, he struggled to see through the deep, impenetrable fog, but it was like staring through dark, murky water. He could find no trace of the creature…and then he heard a slight rasp of breath just behind his left shoulder. With a quick spin, Isaac found himself face-to-face with something that looked like death warmed over, but only for an instant. Acting as if he’d startled it, the creature immediately scurried back into the foggy darkness.

He’d have thought it had disappeared, except that he could still hear its harsh, erratic breathing. “If you went to the trouble of finding me,” he said in a low voice, “why bother hiding?”

Coming forward once more, the creature slithered through the shadows as if it was nothing more than smoke, its form apparently as vaporous as the one that had attacked Theo, which meant that he was going to have a hell of a time fighting it. “Steiner was right,” Isaac rasped, holding its yellow-eyed stare. “You’re not a Beast.”

“Nice,” it lisped, its white lips spreading in a slow smile that revealed jagged rows of sharp-tipped teeth. “One point goes to the vampire.”

As it moved closer, he could see the bite marks that covered its pale, cadaverous skin, the wounds jagged, as if pieces of flesh had been torn away from its body. It was similar in appearance to the creature that Theo had described, except for a few significant differences. For one, this thing didn’t have any of the Blakes characteristics that had been apparent in the other one. Instead, it had dark markings around its slanted eyes, reminding Isaac of the Skinwalkers, one of the more reclusive clans that seldom came out of the underground caves where they dwelled.

“Not to be rude,” he muttered, thinking that if he could keep it talking, it might reveal something useful, “but you look like something that’s been to hell and back.”

It clapped its chalk-white hands together, its oval-shaped head tilting a little to the side as it scraped out another eerie spill of laughter. “Very good, wolf boy. And a point goes to you, as well.”

“Yeah? You don’t look like a demon.”

“You’re right, of course,” it conceded with a low bow, the moonlight glinting off the small horns protruding from its forehead. “But then, not all demons dwell in hell, do they? And of course, not everyone in hell is a demon.”

“If not a demon, then what are you?” he asked, shifting his body so that his back wasn’t exposed to the open street, since he didn’t know if this thing was on its own…or if it’d brought company.

“I’m something that has suffered more than any living creature should ever have to endure. Tell me, do you have any idea of the things they do to a body down there?” It glided closer, its feet not even touching the ground. “Some of it’s so depraved, you can’t even imagine.”

“And how did you manage to escape? Far as I know, it’s not exactly an easy place to break out of.”

Another soft thread of laughter filled the air, its smile a sadistic blend of horror and hatred. “There’s so much that the Pack don’t know. That you don’t understand. You try to play God and everything gets all topsy-turvy.”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” he grunted, quickly losing his patience.

“Oh, I can’t make it too easy for you, wolf.” It seemed to be gaining substance, becoming less vaporous as it slithered through the air, slowly circling his body, careful to remain just out of his reach. “Some things you’re just going to have to figure out for yourself.”

“Then tell me how many of you there are,” he growled, taking an aggressive step forward. He wasn’t going to cower before this bastard, even if he didn’t know how to kill it.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” It laughed, clucking its tongue.

“You won’t be able to take the Hales, if that’s what you’re after. They’re too—”

“Who said anything about wanting the Hales?” it asked, cutting him off, its yellow eyes burning with purpose and passion. “It’s the pets we want. You and the rest of the Pack. That’s who we’re after. At least to kick things off.”

“And just what do you have against the Pack?” he demanded, keeping his hands loose at his sides. He was ready to release his claws the second it attacked, which he expected to happen at any moment.

“What don’t we have against you?” it murmured, slithering along one of the ancient walls, its claws clicking against the pale stone. “I mean, you ratted most of us out to the Consortium. Hunted us down. Killed us. Convicted us to hell. Nosy bastards, the lot of you. Always meddling in things that don’t involve you. You can’t imagine how long we’ve been waiting for payback.”

Isaac jerked his chin toward the creature and snorted. “If you want sympathy, you’re looking in the wrong place. In my experience, things end up in hell because they belong there.”

“Do you want me to tell you how it’s going to be?” it asked, the sharp bite to its words telling him that he’d gotten under its skin. “You see, while the Hales and the Beasts are busy ripping each other to pieces, it won’t be the meek who inherit the earth. It’s going to be us. The ones who feed on misery and pain, thanks to our time in the pit. Once we remove the Pack, there’ll be no one to go tattling to the Consortium when we’re naughty. We can kill amongst the various clans, picking them off one by one, making it look like the work of their enemies. And their pride, their conceit, will keep them from asking for help. But they’ll seek revenge. They’ll war, reviving the ancient feuds. And while the world bleeds, my brothers and I will feast on the spoils.”

Ah, there it was. The thing that might finally help them piece this madness together. Isaac and the others had been racking their brains, trying to determine if there was any truth to the claims Marcel had made to the Collective Generals about a time of anarchy coming to the clans. They hadn’t seen how such a thing could be possible, but he could see it now. Could see the chaos that would overtake the clans if this crazy son of a bitch’s words proved true.

It made him furious—the fact that Marcel had known this was coming, while the Pack had been left in the dark. But that was the problem with the Consortium. Everyone was so concerned about their political clout that half the knowledge got locked away as secrets, allowing important information to fall through the cracks. Marcel had obviously garnered his information through his involvement with the Walcott, and it occurred to Isaac that Aiden could be an excellent source of intel, if he were willing to talk.

_ And are you actually thinking of buddying up with a Walcott and making a deal? _

Isaac curled his lip, but didn’t bother denying it. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he was man enough to own up to the fact that they needed help. There were still too many unanswered questions, the least of which being how this “creature” had escaped from hell, if his claims were to be believed.

“I can see the wheels turning in your brain, wolf. You’re trying to figure it out, but you won’t.”

“And why’s that?” he muttered, wanting nothing more than to wipe the smile off its smug face.

“Because you’re out of time,” it whispered, and before Isaac could so much as blink, it attacked. It got in a lucky shot that busted his lip on its first charge, but he parried with a swift swipe of his lengthening claws that caught it perfectly across the throat, the same thick, black ooze that Theo had described spraying out in a wide arc. With a sharp hiss, it came at him again, this time catching him on the shoulder as it sped by, its claws digging deep, though he managed to spin away before too much damage was done. Panting hard, Isaac spun in a circle, trying to pinpoint its location, his fangs descending as the wolf punched against his insides, eager to join the fight. A movement off to his left caught his attention, and he readied himself, striking first as the creature charged through the fog. This time he managed to rip his claws across its white chest before it punched him with a crushing blow to the side of his face, his nose cracking from the force of the impact. Ignoring the blood pouring down his face, Isaac gave a bloodthirsty growl and aimed for its throat again. But the creature was too quick, and he found himself swiping at air.

Readying himself for its next strike, Isaac accepted the frustrating fact that he was getting nowhere fast, but he was determined to find some way of weakening it. No way in hell was he going down without taking this bastard with him.

“Well, this looks like fun.” The smooth, lazy drawl cut its way through the thickening fog, and though he couldn’t see its owner, he recognised the distinctive voice of Aiden Steiner.

“Where the hell have you been?” Isaac grunted, addressing the Walcott while keeping one eye on the creature, which had scurried like an insect up one of the nearby buildings at the sound of Aiden’s voice. Its breath hissed through its jagged teeth as it watched them from above, black ooze still pouring from its damaged throat.

With a dry dose of sarcasm, the vampire said, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take that tone with me, considering I’ve been slumming my way through the Walcott Court for the last two days. That place is so oily, I feel dirty just thinking about it.”

“What’d you learn?”

“Not nearly enough. But I can tell you one thing. Your little friend up there is called a Darach, and he broke out when a portal opened up for one of the Beast souls you and your friends sent to hell.”

Shock reverberated through Isaac’s system like a jolt of electricity. “Are you actually telling me that thing escaped when one of the Markers was used to kill a Beast?”

Aiden gave a slow nod. “You know what they say about how no good deed ever goes unpunished? I’m afraid the analogy is entirely true in this case. And it makes perfect sense, if you think about it,” he murmured. “Whenever a door opens, there’s always a chance that something else might leak out. The portals that open for the fallen Beasts lead into the part of hell that holds the tainted souls of the ancient clans. That’s why the Pack deaths have each been slightly different. It’s not one race that’s making the kills. The Darachs are made up of souls that come from each of the clans.”

“He’s right, you know,” the creature lisped, shivering as the wind blew down the lane in a frigid blast. “Did I tell you that this place reminds me of home? It’s so cold it hurts.”

A bitter laugh jerked from Isaac’s lips as he slid the creature, the Darach, a wry look. “Seems to me you’d be used to something a little warmer.”

“Ahh, see, that’s where the living get it so wrong. Hell isn’t a place of heat. Quite the opposite, actually. It’s cold. The kind of cold that sinks down so deep into your bones, you feel the ice moving through your veins. And do you know why?” it asked with another eerie, childlike burst of laughter. “So that we can feel the fire better when we burn.”

“Speaking of burning,” Aiden drawled, pulling a small vial from his pocket and twisting the lid off, “I think this might do the trick.” Lifting his hand, he flung the contents of the vial across the creature’s face, making it shriek with pain. Steam rose from its scorched flesh as it curled its arms over its head, its body losing its definition, as if it were retreating back into a vaporous form. Peeking beneath its arm, it cut one dark, baleful look toward Aiden, then whirled away with a sudden burst of speed, disappearing into the moonlit sky.

“What the hell was that?” Isaac asked, sliding a curious, wide-eyed look toward the small vial still clasped in the vampire’s hand.

“A little holy water,” Aiden explained, balancing the vial on his open palm, “with some salt thrown in.”

“Will it kill him?”

Aiden shook his head, a lock of hair falling over his brow as he returned the vial to his pocket. “Unfortunately, no. And don’t ask me what will, because that’s something I’m still trying to find out. What I do know is that the water will cause enough pain to scare them away.”

Isaac lifted his right hand and rubbed at the knots of tension in the back of his neck. “Well, for what it’s worth, I appreciate the help,” he said in a low voice, managing to get the words out with only a trace of a grimace. “So, uh, thanks.”

Aiden’s mouth curled with a crooked smile. “Any time.”

“Yeah?” A low, gritty bark of laughter vibrated in his chest. “Huh. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised.”

“You have bad blood with Ethan,” the Walcott murmured, rolling one broad, silk-covered shoulder, “but I’m not my brother.” Looking up and down the narrow lane, he pushed his windblown hair back from his face, and asked, “What are you doing here anyway?”

Isaac jerked his chin toward the fog-shrouded end of the street, where the grating dance music could still be heard. “I was heading for that club down there to look for you.”

The vampire threw back his head and laughed, revealing two perfect bite marks just above the thick line of his jugular. Isaac wondered who had fed from the Walcott…and if Aiden had allowed his body to be used in exchange for the information they were after. As his laughter faded away, the vampire shook his head and snorted. “Does that sound like the sort of place I would hang out?”

“To be honest, I had my doubts,” Isaac drawled, resting his back against the nearest building. He used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his face, and was about to ask how the vamp had found him, then realised that Aiden would have simply picked up his scent at his hotel, then followed the trail. Turning the conversation back to the creature, he said, “Marcel told the Collective Generals that a time of anarchy was coming to the clans. Before you got here, that…Darach said that their goal was to take out the Pack so they could go to work turning the clans against one another. And once that’s done, it sounds like they plan to just sit back and watch everything go to hell for the fun of it. This has to be what Marcel was talking about.”

Aiden gave a slow nod as he pushed his hands into his front pockets, the corners of his mouth dipping in a frown. “Marcel worked for one of the oldest Walcott families in existence. It seems plausible that he could have learned about the Darach from them.”

Wishing he had a cigarette, Isaac blew out a frustrated breath. “But why would the Walcotts know these things? I mean, this is stuff that the Pack have never even heard of.”

The vampire arched one dark, arrogant brow. “You don’t have a lot to do with hell, so how would you know its secrets?”

“And the Walcott do?”

“What can I say? Sometimes it helps to be a little bit bad,” Aiden murmured, slanting him a wry smile. “There are Walcott legends about things like this happening in the past, long before the Beasts even came into existence. They’re told mostly as cautionary tales, full of dark magic and things no sane person would meddle in. But it looks as if the original Consortium was desperate enough to do just that. According to the Walcott, portals like the ones being opened for the Beasts can only be made from materials found in hell itself.”

“So then you were right,” he rasped, “about the leaders using dark magic to make the pikes.”

The vampire nodded. “It looks that way. But if it makes you feel any better, I wish I’d been wrong.”

Pushing away from the wall, Isaac forced himself to do the right thing and extended his hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal, if you still want it. Marcel will be yours, in exchange for anything else you can learn.”

“I was hoping you’d feel that way,” Aiden said with a low laugh, shaking his hand. They exchanged numbers, and then the Walcott glanced at the silver watch on his wrist. “I need to get going,” he said, “but I’ll be in touch as soon as I have something more. In the meantime, be careful and watch your back. Until we understand more about what’s going on, there’s no telling what will happen. Believe it or not, the advice I was given is that you find a stone structure surrounded by water, and stay there, using it for protection. The Darach won’t be able to get in. Not if the water’s been salted and blessed by a man of God.”

Isaac scrubbed his hands down his face, not liking the idea that instantly took root in his brain. Without a doubt, the others were going to fight him over it, thinking he was stark barking mad. But if it proved necessary, he’d find a way to make it happen—even if he had to drag them kicking and screaming across the bloody Atlantic.

“And Isaac.”

“Yeah?”

“If I were you,” Aiden told him, all traces of humour erased from his deep voice as the vampire settled his gray gaze on Isaac’s blood-soaked shoulder, “I’d find it fast.”


	19. Chapter 19

_ Missouri _

_ Monday night _

It was evening when they finally stopped for the night at a hotel on the outskirts of St. Louis. Though it’d been a long, confusing day, Liam’s body still thrummed with pleasure from the breathtaking things that Theo had done to him the night before. He only wished the blissful sensation would bleed past the physical and into his emotions. But they were too edgy. Too raw.

And the day had been nothing short of bizarre.

At dawn he’d been pulled out of bed for an emergency meeting. The details had been confusing, but Liam had finally succeeded in wrapping his sleep-fogged mind around the situation, understanding that Isaac Lahey had gotten a lead in his search for information about the creatures attacking the Pack all over the world. They were called Darach, and they were bad news—not that he hadn’t been able to see that for himself. According to Isaac’s source, the Darach were actually the condemned souls of clansmen and women who had been sent to hell for their crimes, and with each Beast death, at least one of these fiends was able to crawl its way up out of the pit.

The revelation sparked a spirited conversation, the topics including speculation as to how the Markers had been made and theories about why the Darach sought to create such chaos, though they all agreed that it sounded as if the creatures’ minds had been warped by their time in hell. They also agreed that the Darach knew the Markers were responsible for their release, which would explain why the one that had attacked Theo had been so fascinated by Tori’s cross. Then Brett had told them that his brother believed there was a good chance they would need to move their base of operations, for safety purposes. Isaac hadn’t given any specifics on the new location, claiming he needed to make some more enquiries first—but the idea had caused a whole new round of debate among the others.

All in all, it had been a chilling way to start the day.

Then, at around three in the afternoon, another call had come in, this one from Theo’s friends in Colorado. The security at the Preserve had been breached and two Darach had infiltrated the compound. Thankfully, everyone had made it out okay due largely to their practiced evacuation drills, but the incident had only served to set Theo and the others further on edge. Now the group from the compound was headed their way, and though there’d been a lot of grumbling after they’d talked to Isaac, it had been decided that everyone would head to England. Isaac and Brett had grown up there, raised by their grandfather at a remote estate in the Lake District that Isaac believed would be perfect for their new headquarters, since it met the two requirements the wolf had been told they needed for protection—requirements that none of the Pack compounds in either North or South America currently met.

It was surrounded by water.

And it was made of stone.

Though the inside of the house had been modernised, its exterior walls belonged to the original stone structure that had stood there for over eight hundred years…and it was surrounded by a moat. While the estate was apparently in dire need of renovation after years of neglect since their grandfather’s death, it had been agreed that the location just might offer the group the protection they needed—an idea that Lydia claimed had been backed by Allison. Isaac had already made the necessary arrangements not only to have the moat water blessed, but for copious amounts of salt to be added. According to the wolf’s source, the Darach wouldn’t be able to cross the salted holy water. Isaac had also told them that the combination of salt and holy water could actually be used to drive the Darach away, scorching their flesh. But it wouldn’t kill them…and they still didn’t know what would.

And on a personal note, Liam didn’t know what he was going to do about one gorgeous, impossibly complicated shape-shifter.

Though he and Tori had ridden with Theo throughout the long day’s drive, the conversation between them had been…strained. For a while, he’d managed to keep him talking with questions about the things Isaac had learned and how the information would be passed on to the other Pack units around the world. He’d also touched on the admission Theo had made during the dawn meeting when he’d learned that he’d already started working to get his hands on the medication that Tori would need in order to fly since he’d wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.

He’d even talked to him about his father’s marriage to Allison and Josh’s mother, which had been when he’d first learned about the secretive, mysterious world of the clans. Then they’d talked more about Tori’s father, who’d claimed not only that he couldn’t handle the responsibility of a child, but also that he didn’t like the way he always felt so “out of control” around Allison. He hadn’t known about her dormant Hale blood or the fact that she was half-witch, but he’d obviously been affected by the McCall curse.

That conversation had led to one about the ongoing search for his stepbrother Josh, but eventually, Liam’s questions had dried up, since he hadn’t been able to bring himself to broach the subject of Tori’s McCall powers and how it related to the Beast’s hunt for his niece, his terror and fear over that particular topic still too fresh. Theo had fallen back into another heavy silence, leaving him to keep Tori entertained. For a while, they’d sung songs and played games, and then Tori had asked for some paper and her crayons, keeping herself busy with her artwork for the rest of the drive.

Now, as Liam stared at his reflection in the steamed surface of the hotel bathroom mirror, he could only marvel at the dazed, lovesick expression on his flushed face. He was too turned on, and not just in a sexual sense, though the guy had certainly blown his circuits. But there was an electric energy buzzing beneath his skin that made everything seem different. Sounds were clearer. Colours brighter. God only knew that he needed to shut down, pulling back into his calm, emotionless shell, but his old fail-safes had abandoned him, leaving him high and dry without any protection. Any armour.

As he finished pulling on some clean jeans and a T-shirt, he opened the bathroom door onto the small living room that joined their rooms together and found Theo sitting on the floor talking to Tori as she coloured another picture from one of her colouring books. Brett and Nolan were out running patrol, all of them on edge, worried about what might happen next. Danny had gone to bed to get some rest before his turn at running the perimeter with Theo came up in a few hours, and though Theo needed to get some sleep as well, he’d offered to watch Tori so that Liam could grab a quick shower.

Leaning against the door jamb, he listened as he said, “You have weapons, Tori. Ones you can use if you’re ever scared or in danger.”

“But I’m too tiny,” his niece argued, her small face scrunched in concentration as she struggled to colour within the lines.

“That’s not a bad thing, sweetheart. You might be tiny, but you’re still tough. Just remember that you’re small and fast enough to get somewhere that an adult can’t reach you. Use that against them. And whatever you do, don’t ever give up. You’re smart and you’re strong, and don’t ever let any jerk tell you otherwise, you understand?”

Tori nodded, then set down her crayon, moved to her feet and threw her arms around Theo’s neck, giving him a fierce hug that made Liam’s eyes water. Forcing himself to move before he started blubbering like a baby, he walked into the room and grabbed Tori’s backpack, stowing her things away. “Come on, sweetie pie. It’s time for bed.”

“I don’t want to go,” Tori protested, sticking out her bottom lip. “I wanna stay with Theo.”

Liam reached down and affectionately ruffled his niece’s silky curls. “You’ll be able to spend all day tomorrow with Theo while we’re driving. But right now you need to get your beauty sleep.”

Tori gave in with a long, dramatic sigh, then took the backpack from Liam and rooted around inside until she found what she was looking for. Taking out one of the pictures she’d drawn that afternoon, the little girl turned and handed the paper to Theo. “I made this for you.”

Liam could see the shock of surprise in his hazel eyes, the warmth of his easy grin as he thanked Tori for the “beautiful picture,” making him feel as if something had reached inside him and taken hold of his heart, grasping it in a firm, unbreakable grip. Needing a moment to collect himself, he took a smiling Tori into the room where Danny was sleeping and tucked her up in the second queen-size bed. Whispering one of the little girl’s favourite bedtime stories to her, Liam waited for Tori to fall into a sound sleep, then tucked the covers up under her pointed little chin. When he walked back into the living room, he found Theo still sitting on the floor, staring at Tori’s drawing. Colour burned along the sharp crests of his cheekbones when he sensed his presence as if he were embarrassed that he’d caught him still sitting there, and he moved to his feet, heading toward the other bedroom.

Hoping that he might open up and talk to him now that they were alone—and ready to demand that he do it if he tried to avoid him—Liam followed him. “You’re good with her,” he told him, standing just inside the open doorway.

“You think?” he asked, grabbing his duffel bag and setting it on the foot of the nearest bed.

He rubbed the slow ache in his wounded arm, reminding himself that if he could stand up to a psychopathic Beast, he could stand up to Theo. “I do,” he told him. “And in case you didn’t notice, she adores you.”

Theo made a low sound in his throat that could have passed for a laugh if it hadn’t been quite so gruff with emotion. “She adores all men. Just look at her with Nolan and Brett.”

“She likes them, but you’re different.” He grunted in response, carefully sliding Tori’s drawing into his bag as he went on to say, “And speaking of Nolan, we didn’t get a chance to talk about it yet, but Brett told me about…what’s going on. About how Nolan’s trying to save his family. I feel like such a jerk for the way I reacted yesterday. I’ve apologised to Nolan, but I still feel awful.”

“He’s a big boy,” he drawled, knowing his jealousy was ridiculous. But he couldn’t stop its slow burn through his body. “He can take it.”

“Still, it was wrong of me to react that way.”

He slid him a narrow, curious look. “Most humans wouldn’t trust him, even knowing that he’s trying to do the right thing.”

“And I’m not like most,” he said gently, holding him with that steady gaze, the one that always saw right through him. “Or haven’t you realised that yet?”

It wasn’t easy, but Theo forced himself to look away from him. “You’re complicated,” he muttered, rummaging in his bag for a fresh pair of boxers to put on after his shower. “I’ll give you that. Hell, I’m still trying to figure you out.”

He met the words with a blast of silence and he locked his jaw, his emotions so on edge, he felt like a high-tension wire. He hated the way things were coming down. The threat of the Darach thrown on top of their war against the Beasts. The attack on the Preserve. All of it. He wasn’t crazy about going to England, but he wanted everyone in one place, where they could watch each others’ backs. True, it was cold and wet there a lot of the time, but he’d suck it up and deal if it meant it was best for everyone. But he hated the idea of getting on a plane, where they’d be pathetically vulnerable if those vaporous assholes decided to attack.

Christ, he hated the whole screwed-up situation.

From the corner of his eye he watched as Liam moved a little farther into the room…then shut the door behind him. “What’s going on, Theo?”

He took a deep breath. Slowly let it out. Then turned his head to look at him. “With what?”

“With us. Is this it?” he asked, the soft words vibrating with emotion. “We have sex and then you dump me? Was I that bad? Boring? What? If you’re trying to spare my feelings, I wish you wouldn’t. Just get it over with and spit it out already.”

Hah! As if there was  _ anything _ boring about Liam Dunbar. The man was like a force of nature crashing over him, ripping through him. He was electric. Hypnotic. And completely addictive.

Quietly he said, “I know you don’t owe me anything. I mean, I knew exactly what I was getting into last night. But…I need to know where we are now. I need to know what’s going on inside your head.”

_ Oh, hell no _ , he thought, inwardly cringing. That was the last thing he needed to know.

Theo figured the smartest thing he could do at the moment was turn his back and tell him to get the hell out of his room, but he couldn’t even turn away from him. Couldn’t take his eyes off him. Not when he was looking at him like that, his blue eyes smouldering with desire…burning with something deeper. Something powerful and strong and bright that rocked him to the core. Made him wish that he could be something he wasn’t.

“I’m on a hair-trigger tonight, Li.” He had to force the words out, fighting to make them sound human. “Don’t push me.”

His lips trembled with emotion, but he didn’t back down. Didn’t run. “Why shouldn’t I?” he said unsteadily, his hands knotting into small fists at his sides before he crossed them over his chest. “You’re always pushing me. Maybe I’ve decided it’s time I push back.”

“If you’re smart,” he muttered, “you won’t.”

“Damn it, Theo!” His temper flared, blasting against him like a hot wind. “Just be a man and admit that you’re sorry we slept together!”

“I’m not sorry,” he growled, wishing that he was better with this kind of crap. Emotional confessions had never been a strong point of his, but then no one had ever twisted him up like Li.

“If that’s true, then prove it.”

His head jerked back as if he’d been clipped on the chin. “What?”

“You heard me,” Liam whispered, taking a step toward him. “Prove it.”

“It’s not that simple, damn it.” He started pacing from one side of the room to the other, feeling like an agitated animal prowling its cage. “You make me lose control. More than…anyone else. And that’s dangerous,” he muttered, scrubbing his hands down his face, then ripping them back through his hair. “When I was younger, I gave more of myself up to the animal than most shifters do at that age. I had to if I wanted to stay alive.”

He came to a stop in the middle of the room and just stood there, with his head angled forward, his hands braced on his lean hips. A husky rumble of laughter fell from his lips, sounding hollow and tired. “Hell, if it weren’t for the animal,” he rasped, “I wouldn’t be here today. But there’s a price to pay for it. I’m more aggressive than most. More feral.”

“If you’re trying to scare me off, it isn’t working.”

He let out a sharp, explosive sigh and turned his head, the thick waves of his hair falling against the side of his face. The corners of his eyes creased as he stared him down, the seconds stretching out like a body being tortured on a rack, until his mouth began to twitch with a boyish, lopsided smile. “I’m starting to think that nothing scares you, Li. Not really. You’ll fight till the bitter end, won’t you?”

“If it’s something worth fighting for,” he whispered.

He looked down, staring at the dark blue carpet, while those soft words played havoc with his sanity. A full minute passed before he cleared his throat, his voice a rough rasp of sound as he said, “Yeah, well, that’s the problem, Li. That’s what I’m trying to get through to you. I saw you and I wanted you and was selfish enough to go after you. But the truth is that I’m not even fit to touch you.”

“Is that what you think?”

His chest shook with bitter, breathless laughter. “It’s what I know.”

“That’s such bullshit, Theo.”

“You think, Li?” Frustration surged through him, seething and sharp, pouring out in a rough, visceral growl. “Let me tell you about the guy you let cover you last night. About the animal you let inside you. You wanna know why I feel the way I do about humans? Because my mother was one. And you wanna know where I got these?” he snarled, holding out his scarred wrists as he stalked toward her. “When I was seven, my mother - my human mother - sold me to a man named Schrader.”

His mouth trembled and he shook his head. “I don’t want to hear this.”

“Well, you’re going to,” he grunted, dropping his arms to his sides, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his faded jeans. The muscles across his shoulders were coiled with tension, his biceps rigid as he fought to keep himself under control. “You need to have it all spelled out for you, Liam, so that you’ve got a clear picture of the situation. See, Schrader made tons of money from running what he liked to call his little funhouse. A place where loaded, sick-as-shit humans could come and get their kicks, working over kids in any way they chose. As long as you paid your money, you could have whatever you wanted.”

“Oh, God.” He pressed his fingertips to his trembling mouth, a violent shiver moving through his entire body. His face was so white he looked like a sheet. Bleached and drained of colour.

Theo jerked his chin toward him, his expression twisted with a cocky smirk that he knew didn’t hide the pain hidden beneath his surface. “Yeah, you’re starting to get the picture now, aren’t you? And Schrader’s genius was in using kids who could take a licking and keep on ticking. With our ability to heal, shifters were like manna from heaven to a guy like him. The favourites in his little collection, he liked to say.”

He went on, mercilessly telling him about the things they’d done to him. Confessing all the vile, twisted things they’d made him do. The drugs they’d given him compliant. The way he’d given up more and more of himself to his beast as he’d grown older, just so he could retain some shred of his sanity.

Though he was shaking and covered in sweat, his insides twisting with shame, he forced himself to reveal just how thoroughly he’d been used, and in some perverse way, Theo knew it was because he expected him to turn away from him. One of them needed to end this thing before he screwed up both their lives by biting him…marking him - and he didn’t trust himself to be the one to do it. So he’d force the issue into his hands.

“What about your father?” he whispered when he finally paused. His voice was thick…broken, a wash of glistening tears overflowing those beautiful eyes. “Did he know where you were? Didn’t he ever come looking for you?”

“Nah,” he muttered, pulling his hand down his damp face. “I doubt he ever even knew he had a kid. He was just some guy my mother had a fling with while touring Europe. By the end of her trip she’d hooked up with another man. Turned out she’d moved on from a shape-shifter to a heroin dealer, and the rest was history. Once she finally clued into the fact that I wasn’t human, I became just a means to an end. A commodity that could be traded in to fund her habit.”

His voice quivered as he said, “Do you know what happened to her?”

He shook his head, another gritty laugh spilling from his lips. “She probably overdosed in some dark alley, stoned out of her skull, so far gone she couldn’t even remember her own name. To be honest, I don’t really give a damn what happened to her.”

“I don’t blame you,” he whispered. “I’d feel the same way.”

Rolling his shoulder, Theo popped his jaw and got on with it. “Anyway, when I was fourteen, I hit my growth spurt. It should have been too soon for me to make a full change, but I did. At first, I just wanted to get the other kids out of there…and I tried. But I was a young, stupid jackass who didn’t know what he was doing. Not to mention scared out of my wits. Schrader’s house was an hour outside Reno, buried in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There were too many of us to move quickly, and it didn’t take long for his men to catch us. I’d managed to steal some weapons, and I told the others to fight back. It turned into a slaughter and they died. Every single one of them. The youngest was only five.”

He covered his wet eyes, whispering something broken and hoarse under his breath, though he couldn’t tell what it was. He coughed, forcing the last bit out, needing to get it over and done with before the knot in his throat choked him off completely. “I should have bled out, but somehow I managed to drag myself away. At least what was left of me. I spent three days hiding out in the woods before I recovered from my wounds. And while I was out there, freezing my ass off, I realised that I’d gone about it all wrong. If I left Schrader and his men alive, they were just going to keep on doing what they’d done to us to a whole new group of kids. So I went back and let the predator that lives inside me take its revenge. I hunted them down, one by one, and ripped them to pieces. But I saved Schrader for last.”

For a long time, the only sound in the room was that of their soft, ragged breathing, and then he finally said, “I hope you made it count when you killed him.”

With a jerky nod, Theo locked his jaw, trying to brace himself for the blow. The brush-off. He knew it had to be coming, any moment now. He was probably too polite to tell him what he thought to his face. But he’d bow out with some murmured excuse. Then find a way to keep a careful distance between them from that point on. Eventually act as if he didn’t even exist.

He waited…and waited, his body sweat-slick and hot beneath his clothes, as if he were burning with fever. But he didn’t turn away. Didn’t leave.

Instead, he came toward him, his energy hitting him like a blast of electricity, tingling and warm. He stiffened, his muscles coiled for flight. And yet his feet stayed rooted to the ground, even as he came closer…and closer. He shook. Trembled. But he couldn’t move. Couldn’t run.

“I don’t know how you could think you’re not fit to touch me,” he said in a soft, tender spill of words. Heat crawled up his spine, curling around his shoulders…the backs of his ears, chasing away the painful chills. “You’re the one who’s strong. Who fought to survive something that would have crushed most people. You’re the one with something to be proud of, Theo. If anything, I’m the one who’s not fit to touch you.”

He felt himself swaying toward him, his brain fuzzy…thick. “Huh,” he breathed out, shaking his head.

He stared deep into his eyes with that wild, hypnotic power that made him feel as if he was seeing right inside him. “What?” he whispered.

“It’s just that…you never react the way that I think you will. The way you should. It’s like you’re…I dunno.” He shook his head again, not knowing what to make of him. He’d been so sure of how he’d react…and now he’d gone and knocked him on his ass again. “I don’t get it, Li. It’s not right.”

He took a step closer, so beautiful and sweet it hurt just to look at him. “Am I supposed to blame you for being strong and surviving, Theo?”

He took a deep, shuddering breath, his face prickling with the blood rush that came just before you passed out. He didn’t know what to make of the chaos swarming through his system - but there was something so much more powerful than lust fueling these strange new emotions awakening inside him. Something more potent…and infinitely more dangerous.

“You should be disgusted by my weakness. By my mistakes. Those kids died because of me.” There was no heat in the words. It was just a quiet, desolate statement of fact.

“God, Theo, that’s not true! You were a child yourself. The only disgust I feel is for those monsters who hurt you. I feel nothing but absolute pride in you for being so strong. For growing up into the kind of man who could survive something like that without letting it blacken his soul.”

One second he was wrapping his slender arms around his trembling body, and in the next, Theo was attacking him. There really wasn’t any other word to describe the fierce intensity of his actions. His hands were all over him, his mouth claiming his in a wild, explicit kiss that was hot and wet and savagely hungry. The only thing that made it okay was the fact that he was kissing him back.

With his long fingers curled around his biceps, he turned, shoving him against the nearest wall. “Damn it,” he gasped, nipping at his bottom lip, the salty taste of his tears only fueling his desperation. He grabbed his ass and lifted him off the ground, forcing his thighs to part as he lodged himself against him, grinding his denim-covered cock against his. “I’m being too rough again.”

“Don’t stop,” Liam panted, wrapping his legs around his hips. “I love you like this.”

His heart stuttered on the L word, even though he knew he meant it in a sexual sense. But the damage had been done. All that devastating angst that had been twisting him up inside turned into a raw, explosive sexual aggression that nearly floored him, ripping through him like a tidal wave. He knew his darkest, most shameful secret, and yet he still wanted him. He couldn’t get his head around it. Couldn’t get it to compute.

And the way he looked at him when he stopped kissing him long enough to check his expression, keeping his face close to his, simply blew his mind. It was almost as if he…cared. Even after everything that he’d told him. He was so open, his emotions just blazing there on his beautiful face like a neon sign. All that heat and shimmering warmth just spilling out, melting him down.

In a distant part of his brain, Theo could hear someone shouting for him to wake up and take a reality check, but he was too far gone to care. Too desperate to heed its warnings.

Burrowing his face in the crook of his shoulder, he pressed his open mouth against the side of his throat, flicking his tongue against the warm, salty sweetness of his flesh. He loved how Liam smelled. How he tasted. Loved how different his body was from his own. Soft where he was hard. Tender and pale where he was rugged and dark.

His heartbeat roared in his ears as he kissed his way back up to his mouth, and with his lips against his, he said, “Get rid of your sweater.”

He complied instantly, breathing in a sharp, excited rush as he reached for the hem of his sweater, yanking it over his head. 

Lifting him higher, Theo nuzzled his mouth against the dark tangle of hair that covered his chest, while staring up at his flushed face. He gazed down at him, his lush, kiss-swollen lips parted for those gasping breaths. Theo held his gaze as he opened his mouth over one thick, delicious, candy-pink nipple, trapping the tender bud against the roof of his mouth, rubbing it with his tongue. He cried out, trembling in his arms, his hands clenched against his shoulders.

“I didn’t pay nearly enough attention to these yesterday,” he groaned, moving his eager mouth to the other side of his chest. He swirled a slow, hungry lick around the puffy nipple, loving the way he squirmed in his arms. “They deserve hours of attention, Li. Days. Months. Years. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

His chest shook with a breathless flutter of laughter, his tender mouth curling in a shy, dazzling smile. “You’re crazy.”

“I mean it. That’s not a line. You take my breath away,” he panted. “Blow my mind.”

Tears still glistened in his eyes as he leaned down and kissed him, holding his face in his trembling hands. With his head spinning, Theo tightened his grip on his ass, holding him against him as he turned and quickly carried him to the closest bed. He laid him down, ripping off the rest of his clothes, then his own, and was beyond thankful that he’d put a condom in his back pocket so that he didn’t have to go searching for one, along with a small packet of lube.

Racked with a violent, visceral need, he fumbled with the lube like a green-eared virgin, nearly roaring with relief when he finally got it open. Then he crawled over his naked body, his muscles shaking so hard his damn teeth were chattering. “I need to fuck you,” he somehow managed to scrape out.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Sweet, husky words that made him shake even harder as he ran his soft palms down the bunched muscles in his back.

Cursing a breathless stream of raw, erotic phrases under his breath, Theo shoved his thighs wide and nudged his slicked fingers against his opening, his fingers pressing inside the heat of him making him see red. 

He wasn’t as gentle as he should have been. His need was too strong, and Liam gasped underneath him as he prepped him, sliding his fingers in and out of his tight body. The third finger had Liam scrabbling at his neck, groaning into his ear and Theo panted as he somehow managed to get the condom over his cock.

With his muscles coiled hard and tight, he shoved deep, pulling a hoarse, shocked cry from Li’s chest as he gave him every brutal, demanding inch…and began plunging inside. He couldn’t look away from his eyes, lost in the deep, smoky pools of blue, every intimate pulse of pleasure that thrummed through his body shining right there for him to see, so beautiful and sweet and bright.

Some kind of dark, primitive sound tore from his throat, and he heard himself saying, “Every time I get inside you, it just feels better. Like being caught in the middle of a hurricane, and everything’s thrashing around me, while I’m snugged up tight in paradise, going out of my mind. It doesn’t make any sense. I should be getting tired of you by now, and instead, I just want you more. It’s like you’ve put some kind of spell on me.”

His mouth curled with a slow smile, his eyes heavy-lidded and dark as he ran his hands over the corded muscles in his arms, across his shoulders, fluttering them up the strained tendons in his throat. He rode him hard and roughly, caging him beneath his body as he thrust in deep, penetrating lunges that drove their sex-slick bodies across the bed. When he closed his eyes, he twisted his fingers in the thick hair at the back of his head, tilting his face up to his as he said, “Look at me, Li. I need you to look at me.”

His lashes fluttered open, and his breath caught at the glittering sparks of emotion burning in their luminous depths. He refused to let him hide, demanding he give him everything he wanted. Drove himself into him as if his life depended on it. And when he came, Theo could have sworn his wild, sobbing burst of pleasure surged right into him, like some kind of crazy, breathtaking feedback loop.

He was liquid and soft and deliciously warm, hugging the thick, granite-hard length of his cock as if he wanted to keep him inside him forever. He stretched beneath him like a sated, well-fed cat and purred, “I thought things like that only happened in books.”

“You like it?” he asked, riding him through the orgasm with slow, heavy thrusts, while he pulsed and throbbed around him. A stupid question to ask, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He lifted his hand, stroking the tip of one finger across the slash of his brows, then along the hard edge of his jaw before sweeping it across his bottom lip. “Let’s just say that I’m finding it hard to remember why I ever thought sex was overrated,” he whispered, following the movement of his finger with his eyes as he traced the shape of his upper lip, a rush of shivering pleasure left in the wake of his touch. “I guess…I guess it’s easy to understand why you’ve had so many lovers. People probably follow you around, just throwing themselves at your feet, begging you to take them to bed.”

Theo frowned, suddenly feeling a little sick inside at the idea of Li comparing what was happening between them to the sex he’d indulged in before meeting him. He wanted to explain the difference to him, but didn’t know how. How could he make him understand that this heart-pounding, throw the world off its axis thing that they had eclipsed every moment of pleasure he’d ever felt in another’s arms? God, it was like comparing water to the finest, rarest scotch whiskey.

Not knowing what to say, he let his body communicate for him. He tried to keep it slow, at first just rubbing against him, teasing him…loving the way he writhed and arched against him. But he could hold back for only so long before his hunger got the better of him, and the next thing he knew, he was riding him harder…deeper, increasing his rhythm until he was slamming his hips against his, the slick, exquisite friction driving him out of his mind. As he lowered his head, pressing his open mouth to the fragile column of his throat, tasting the salty heat of his blush, he started to wonder if this blissful sense of perfection was what had the Buchanans so lit up, their normally rugged expressions always lovesick and sappy when their lovers were near. Was this what he’d been missing out on? This strange, mind-blowing connection that made him feel as if he’d finally, for the first time in his life, actually gotten something right?

And how in God’s name was he going to live without it, now that he’d found it?

Not liking that particular question, his beast let out a bloodthirsty roar that echoed through his skull, punching against his insides as it tried to escape, more than ready to take matters into its own hands. It snarled with primal ferocity, demanding that he bite Liam. Sink his teeth into him. Mark him and claim him, while he still had the chance. Before it was too late and they’d lost him.

It took everything that Theo had to fight it back, stopping the release of his claws and fangs—and although he managed, his control was weakening. Knowing each second he stayed inside him was madness, he shoved himself into the orgasm, and it was like throwing himself into the burning centre of the sun. Like being tossed into a wild, storm-wracked ocean, the waves crashing over his head, shoving him under again…and again…and again. His mind whited-out, as the teeth-grinding sensations went on and on, lasting longer than anything he’d ever experienced.

He had his weight balanced on his shaking arms, his head hanging forward, chest rising and falling in a hard rhythm as he fought for breath. He’d come with him, his release slick between their bodies, his ass still pulsing around him, a soft, shivery sigh of pleasure falling from his lips as he lifted his hands, running his fingers through the long, tangled mane of his sweat-damp hair. “You’re shaking,” he whispered, snagging his gaze as he opened his eyes, holding him with the sheer power of his will. “You’re still fighting something, Theo. I wish I knew what it was.”

“It’s nothing,” he murmured, lowering his lips to his, just needing to lose himself in the perfect taste of his mouth. Despite all that had happened, he still couldn’t bring himself to make that next confession, admitting that everything about him made him want to sink his fangs into him, marking his body as something that was his. Or the fact that if he bit him, after falling in love with him, that mark would be permanent. Binding. Never to be undone.

_ Not yet, damn it _ , he thought, ravaging the tender depths of his mouth, so warm and moist and delicious. He wasn’t ready to lose him. He’d been so sweet and accepting, but he knew better than to push his luck. It was hell fighting back the primal, predatory demands of the beast, but he’d keep doing it if it meant he could have him again. Just a few more times before he was forced to put an end to it.

Closing his eyes, he shoved away the stark vision of his future that lingered at the edge of his consciousness, taunting him with how things would be once he lost him, and did everything he could to cling to the moment. But the annoying voice in the back of his mind wouldn’t shut up. Wouldn’t leave him alone.

_ You’re just living on borrowed time here. Eking it out. When you know, in the end, you’re still gonna crash and burn. _

Panic settled in, destroying the hot, molten glow of bliss still filling his belly. The sweat on his skin cooled as he pulled his mouth from hiss, the feeling in his gut twisting into a hard, tight burn as he stared down into his questioning eyes. God, he really hated that voice. But it was right. He’d never be able to put his trust in him. Not in the way he deserved. He was too wary and bitter. And no matter what he was feeling at the moment, he couldn’t count on it to last. Not forever. Sooner or later he’d come to his senses. Realise his mistake. And by then, it would be too late.

Mesmerised and still a little light-headed from two bone-melting orgasms, Liam watched the breathtaking play of muscle beneath Theo’s golden skin as he quietly pulled away from him and moved across the room, heading toward the bathroom. The low glow of light from the desk lamp illuminated the strong, rugged lines of muscle and bone and sinew, his body like a primal, enticing work of art. It dazzled him. Blinded him with its rough, masculine beauty.

But what truly captivated him was the wary, emotionally scarred man who lurked beneath that tough, beautiful surface. That was who had stolen his heart. Who he wanted to shower with tenderness. The man he’d fallen utterly and completely in love with. The feeling was so tender and fragile, like something soft and green just peeking up through the moist earth, seeking the warmth of the sun. He had to be so careful…so cautious if it was going to have a chance to blossom and thrive.

“Are you going to run away again?” he asked, his stomach knotting as he came out of the bathroom and started to pull on the low-slung jeans he’d been wearing before.

“I’m not running, Li.” He reached for his thick watch, hooking it around his left wrist. “But it’s going to be time for the guys to head back in soon, and they’re going to need to get some sleep. I’d keep you in here with me all night if I could, but I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation.”

He didn’t argue, though he wanted to, for the simple reason that he wanted to stay with him. Be close to him. Instead, he moved to his feet, giving him his back as he collected his scattered pieces of clothing and began slipping them back on. When he went to pull on his jeans he had to steady himself against the wall, his body still shivering with lingering pulses of pleasure, like sensual aftershocks, the memory of what it felt like to have him buried inside him permanently imprinted on his brain. He was swollen and sore, but ridiculously eager to have him again. He’d never known orgasms could be like that. So powerful and wild. A complete loss of self, without panic or fear, because he’d trusted Theo to be waiting there for him on the other side of the dark, devastating pleasure.

He watched him from the corner of his eye as he pulled on a black sweatshirt and raked his fingers back through the damp strands of his hair, wondering if he’d felt the same. If the experience had been anywhere near as mind-blowing for Theo as it had been for him.

Wondering, with an odd little pain in his chest, just what it was he was still hiding from him.

When they were both dressed, he walked with him to the door of the bedroom he was sharing with Tori. He started to tell him to be careful while he was out on patrol, but his big, calloused palms were suddenly clamped against the sides of his head, holding him in place as he put his mouth against his, kissing him with a dark, savage aggression, as if he was starved for the taste of his mouth. When he finally let him breathe again, he pressed his forehead against his, his thumbs brushing against his sensitive skin with soft, tender strokes as he said, “I don’t have any regrets about what happened between us. I just…I wanted you to know that.”

Then he gave him another hard, deep, bone-melting kiss, and before he could even take in enough air to speak, he’d turned away from him. As he watched him walk across the room, open the door and disappear into the dark, frigid night, Liam reminded himself that only fools and dreamers wished for happily-ever-afters.

And though he’d never truly realised it until that moment, it had become blindingly clear that he was both.


	20. Chapter 20

_ Virginia _

_ Wednesday _

Whatever Liam had been expecting when Theo’s friends caught up to them, it was still a shock to his system when they came face-to-face on Tuesday afternoon. He’d never seen so many gorgeous, massive men in one place at one time, and the women were not only beautiful, but easy to get along with. In all, there were seven newcomers to their group. Derek Hale and his fiancée, Lydia, along with Derek’s sister, Laura, and her fiancée, Hope. Then there was their sister, Cora, and her fiancé, Jordan Parrish, as well as a young British archaeologist named Corey Bryant. A quiet, twenty-something near his own age, with golden hair and an easy smile, Corey seemed as human as Liam. But he wasn’t. According to Nolan, Isaac had been forced to bite Corey in order to save his life after he’d been tortured by the Beasts, turning the Brit from a man to a werewolf. Amazingly, Corey seemed to have taken to his new preternatural existence as if he’d been born to it, and Liam had been fascinated by their conversations.

And Tori, the little flirt, simply adored him, following Corey wherever he went.

Wanting to spend as little time in the air as possible, they planned to fly out from Maine, and so they were now headed toward the East Coast. Though they could have split up, traveling in smaller groups, they’d opted for the old adage “safety in numbers,” not knowing what to expect during their time on the road. Everyone was worried that the Darachs would find them again, but so far there’d been no sign of the creatures…or the Beasts. Still, they moved as if they had something nipping at their heels, fully aware that danger was more than likely closing in, hard and fast.

It was Wednesday now, and they’d spent the morning traveling northeast through Virginia until they’d finally stopped at a wooded parkland to stretch their legs for a bit, while Brett and Nolan drove into the nearest town to buy everyone some lunch. Tori was playing a game of catch with Corey, and Theo was on his cell phone, trying to sort out where they could pick up Tori’s medication, so Liam settled himself against the weathered trunk of a maple tree and tried to read for a bit. But instead of focusing on the story, his mind kept wandering back to Theo.

With the frantic pace they’d set, traveling through most of the night, only stopping at a hotel near dawn so that everyone could sleep for a few hours and grab showers, he and Theo hadn’t had a chance to snag any alone time together. They’d managed to steal a few hurried, desperate kisses—but it hadn’t been nearly enough. He was starved for his touch. For the weight of his body covering him, holding him down. His emotions might have been in chaos, but his body knew  _ exactly _ what it wanted.

Problem was, his heart did, as well.

And it was definitely a problem. Despite his wicked smiles and the occasional teasing comment, he could see a tightness around Theo’s eyes that was more than just his worry for their safety, and he suspected he was having doubts about their relationship or affair or whatever you wanted to call it. He seemed to be keeping a careful kind of emotional distance between them…one that was knotting his insides, setting him on edge.

So much fear churned inside him, and so much hope, the combination making his head spin. Winning his heart wouldn’t be easy, but as he’d lain in bed on Monday night, Liam had realised that for the first time in his life, he was determined to try…to actually fight for what he wanted. He had let Donovan go without a second thought. But he wasn’t prepared to give up so easily on Theo.

It awed him, the strength it had taken for him to survive what he’d gone through as a child and not let it warp his heart and his soul, turning him into something as vile as the monsters who’d abused him. Instead, he was one of the good guys. A knight in shining armor, bad boy though he might be. But he liked his rough edges. He couldn’t say no to him, and he didn’t even want to try.

And so that tender shoot of hope inside him had bloomed, opening up, expanding until it filled every cell of his body. Anticipation thrummed through his veins, while his heart felt hot…sticky, soft in his chest, his pulse racing with nervous excitement as he thought about the topic he planned to bring up the next time he and Theo were alone.

Last night, when Lydia had noticed him stealing glances at the faint bite marks healing on the side of her throat, she’d offered to answer his questions. Liam knew enough about the Hales to understand that Derek needed to take blood in order to feed the primal aspects of his nature, but he’d been curious about how it felt…and Lydia’s answer had made him more curious than ever.

Looking up from the pages of his book, he searched for Theo and found him leaning against the front of his truck, talking to one of the others, his powerful arms crossed over his chest, while the wind whipped at the long, caramel-colored strands of his hair. He studied the sensual shape of his mouth, and couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like if he were to ever bite him. Sink his fangs into him. Was that something he even wanted? Could it be one of the things he’d been fighting?

As if he could feel the force of his gaze on him, he looked his way, a hard, predatory wave of sexual aggression radiating from his body when he caught him staring. His mouth moved as he said something, and then he was walking across the grass, heading straight for him. Whatever he’d seen on his face, it had awakened his own primal instincts, his amber eyes already smoldering with a warm, erotic glow, burning with heat.

By the time he reached him, he’d set his book on the ground and moved to his feet. Theo grabbed his hand, and immediately started pulling him deeper into the trees. Laura and Danny were running a perimeter on the area, so he knew they were safe, but he still worried that Tori might need him, even as his body melted at the idea of being alone with him. Of stealing a few more of his dark, devastating kisses.

“We should stay close to the others,” he burst out, breathless with excitement. “I’m sure Corey’s going to get tired of playing catch with Tori and come looking for me.”

“I doubt it,” he murmured, suddenly stopping and crowding him against the wide trunk of a massive oak tree, “considering Tori’s already got him wrapped around her little finger, just like Nolan and Brett. And Lydia and Derek have headed over to join them.” His deep-grooved grin was unbearably beautiful. “Derek said something about it being good practice, since he and Lydia want to start having kids as soon as possible.”

He was shivering when he leaned down to press a hot kiss against the edge of his jaw. Then stammering when he suddenly reached for the top button on his jeans and flicked it undone. “What are you doing?” he gasped, gripping his thick, powerful wrist. “Your friends could come walking over here looking for us!” He sounded so scandalised, Theo couldn’t help but smile, his chest shaking with a low bark of husky laughter.

“Do you know how much I love it when you go into teacher mode?” he rumbled, bracing his hands against the rough bark on either side of his shoulders, caging him in. “Is that kinky, Li? You get all puckered up, like you want to lecture me about my behaviour, and I go as hard as a rock.” He leaned close, burying his nose against the side of his throat, and he tilted his head to give him better access as he kissed his way up to his ear. “I can hear it now, you using that prim little voice to tell me to ride you harder…to give you more. I’ll refuse, saying you’re too small…too tight, and then you’ll dig your nails into my ass, pulling me deeper, fighting me until I lose it and end up giving you every hard, hungry inch.”

Liam breathed out his name on a soft, trembling sigh. “We can’t,” he moaned, shaking his head, though Theo could see how badly he wanted to give in.

“Hmm. Then maybe I’ll just drop to my knees, rip your clothes away and suck you off until you’re coming all over my face, screaming my name at the top of your lungs.” He reached between his legs, rubbing his fingers against the imprint of his cock, his jeans a frustrating barrier that he wanted out of his way. “I think you need my tongue right here, Li. Just licking you around the head. Lapping up every sweet drop.”

He gave a soft laugh, pressing his hands against his chest as he said, “You’re obsessed with oral sex, aren’t you?”

“Can’t help it,” he drawled, rubbing the base of his palm against his cock. “I like to lick things that taste good.”

He moaned, his face flushing with colour as he closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the tree.

“No one’s going to come over here,” he promised him. “I made sure of it.”

He knew he had him when he opened his eyes, grabbed the sides of his face and pulled him down until he could nip at his bottom lip. “God, I love your mouth.” No stutter. No hesitation. Just smooth, languid words, thick with desire. “You taste so good.”

“Not nearly as good as you,” he growled, tugging again at the buttons on his jeans. “I want to make love to you, Li. You okay with that?”

“Where?” he gasped, that single word shivering with excitement.

“Out here. Where I can see the sun shining on your skin. Where I can see every beautiful detail and know that it’s mine to touch. To taste.”

Theo had never said anything like that to anyone before, but the strange, possessive words were true. The cracks in his composure were getting deeper, and infinitely more dangerous. Desperation filled him, pushed at him, because he knew their time together was coming to an end…that it was slipping away from him with each moment that went by.

Determined to make the most of it while he still could, he held his face in his hands, clutching at him like a lifeline. “Tell me something, Liam.”

“What?”

“Anything,” he whispered against his mouth, rubbing his lips against the petal-like softness of his own. “Everything. I want to know all your dark, dirty little secrets.”  _ And I want you to tell me that this is about more than just getting laid. _

_ Wow _ . Another whoa moment, right there. One he hadn’t even known was coming.

“That works both ways you know.” He pushed against his chest until he could stare up into his eyes, daring him to look away. “I spill, then you have to spill, too.”

He dropped his hands to his sides, a wry smile tipping the corner of his mouth. “I’ve spilled a lot, Li. Enough to say I’m surprised as hell that you’re still here.”

Lowering his gaze, he walked a few feet away and braced his hands against a low-hanging branch. “You still have secrets,” he murmured, staring straight ahead. “Things you haven’t told me.”

“Well, here’s one of them,” he said in a playful rumble, moving up behind him. “I absolutely love your ass.”

His head fell forward a little, and he gave a soft snort of laughter. “You’re insane, Theo.”

“Well, yeah, that’s probably a given,” he drawled, running his big hands over his round, beautiful backside. “But I know what I’m talking about. And you, Liam, have one seriously gorgeous ass.”

He laughed again, saying, “Donovan thought it was fat.”

“Yeah? Well, Donovan was a blind jackass.”

“I caught him having sex with one of the other teachers,” he suddenly blurted, his hands tightening against the branch. “They were in his classroom. After school.”

“Huh. Sounds like he was a dumb ass, as well. Wasting time on another man when he had you.” Reaching around his front, Theo pushed his hand into his loosened jeans, under the elastic waistband of his briefs, seeking out the hot, slick skin on his cock.

“You know what I think?” he said, loving the way his breath caught with a sexy little catch when he wrapped his fingers around him, slowly stroking. “I think your perfect ass scared him. Made him feel inferior. He knew he wasn’t man enough to claim something so beautiful. And you are beautiful, Li. We’re talking white-hot, head-spinningly gorgeous.”

He made a small, hungry sound and he kissed his shoulder, the smooth column of his throat. “I’ll tell you something,” he whispered in his ear. He tried to turn around, but Theo stopped him, wrapping his free arm around his middle, holding Liam’s body against him, his fingers still slowly stroking. “You’re the only person I’ve ever gone down on.”

“That’s…not possible.” Quiet, shivery words, full of shocked surprise.

Nuzzling through the heavy silk of his hair, Theo pressed a low, embarrassed laugh against the downy softness of his nape. “It’s true.”

With those hoarse, husky words hanging in the air between them, he began moving his hand in earnest, thumb sweeping over his weeping slit. Theo couldn’t get enough of the way he thrust to meet him, the slick sound echoing through the clearing. He clamped his teeth onto the back of his neck, making Liam melt against him, and felt himself losing it. Already, and he didn’t even have his cock in him yet. But his beast was rising to the surface, like some primordial creature swimming up from the dark depths of an ancient lagoon. He tried to fight his pull, but the sight of his profile as he leaned forward and rested his face against one of his hands was too much. Dark lashes. Smooth, flawless skin. And that lush pink mouth, parted by his provocative moans. His ears roared. His eyes burned.

And his fangs broke free again, long and heavy in his mouth.

Gritting his teeth, Theo pulled his hand from between his legs and grabbed hold of the branch on either side of his body. His fingers sank into the wood, creating deep impressions, and he pressed his forehead between his shoulder blades, fighting to get himself under control. His muscles twitched, his cock rock hard and ready, strangling inside his jeans, too stupid to know what it was getting itself into.

“Theo?”

“Just…just give me a minute,” he rasped, wondering how he’d ever thought he could get his fill of this man. God, he’d been mad. A blind, fucking idiot. One who’d been shown paradise and was going to be left sucking wind when he lost it.

And damn it, he didn’t want to lose it.

Not now, when he finally got what it was all about.

He couldn’t say that sex with others had ever felt bad. Just that…maybe he hadn’t ever really felt it, like listening to music through thick, soundproof walls. He knew it was happening, but it’d never pierced its way through to him.

Then came Liam, and he’d smashed his walls to pieces. Pieces he didn’t know how to put back together. And now he was left standing there, with his face buried against his back, trembling like a leaf. Wishing. Wanting. Hungering. Craving with a visceral need that had bled into something so much deeper and devastating than physical desire—which was why he was going to be running, as hard and as fast as he could, the instant he had him safe and secure in England.

_ No _ , the animal snarled with a violent, primitive fury that echoed painfully through his skull.

Theo hated the idea even more than the beast, but it couldn’t be helped. Want had changed to need, and need was something he wasn’t prepared to give in to. Need meant he was in this for the long haul—and that couldn’t be. Hell, he didn’t even recognise himself anymore. Didn’t understand what was going on in his head. He couldn’t think, couldn’t act. All he did was worry about him, feeling as if he needed to be near him to breathe, and it was scaring the shit out of him. He wanted to spend every goddamn waking moment in his presence. Hold him close to his body when they slept. Talk to him about the future, as if it was something they could actually share together. All bad, bad shit that was doomed to crash down on him, splattering him like road kill, if he didn’t get the hell out of there. So he’d already talked it out with Isaac and made the plans.

Knowing the clock was ticking, Theo pressed his mouth against the back of his neck, flicking his tongue against the salty, delicious taste of her skin. Pleasure rolled through him, as warm and sweet as the first rays of sunshine in spring. Not the hot, blinding flash of orgasm, but just as strong. Just as essential. “You always smell so damn good.” His voice bled into a soft growl, his lips moving against the side of his throat as he nuzzled against him. “It drives me crazy, the way I can’t get enough of you.”

“Does that mean something?” he asked, suddenly looking at him over his shoulder.

Panic flared like a flame. “What do you mean?”

“Does it mean something about us? Am…am I special to you?” He didn’t respond, simply staring back at him with a wary expression, but he wasn’t deterred by his silence. “You wanted me to tell you something, so this is what I’m telling you. You’re special to me, Theo. And if you wanted to…to bite me, I wouldn’t mind.”

“What?” He could feel the colour drain from his face. “Why in God’s name would you say that?”

“Because I trust you.”

_ Oh, Christ. _ He’d wanted so badly to hear those words from him, but they’d backfired on him. He hadn’t realised the danger. How it would make him feel, all soft and hot in his chest, his face burning like a friggin’ Broadway sign. “Well, don’t, Li. Not about this. I’m not even going to—”

He cut off the telling words, but it was already too late.

“You’re not going to what?” he asked.

“Nothing,” he muttered, looking away from him.

“I meant what I said, Theo.”

He closed his eyes, gnashing his teeth. “Get real, Liam. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“I do. I—”

“Goddamn it!” Within seconds he had him turned and shoved back against the trunk of the tree, his hands curled around his upper arms, holding him there as he leaned in close to his face. “Do you have any idea how dangerous it is, every time I touch you? How badly I want to bite you? I’ve been fighting it for days! And you know why?” he snarled, giving him a little shake. “Because if I bite you, it’s going to stick!”

“Stick?” he repeated, his voice thick with confusion. “What does that even mean?”

“Your scent calls to me, Liam.” He took a deep breath, struggling to get control of his anger, knowing he needed to make him understand.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning you call to my beast. Meaning I should stay the hell away from you,” he growled, “because of all the people in the world, you’re one of the ones it would be a really, really bad idea for me to bite. Sink my fangs into you, and you could end up getting a lot more than you bargained for. Kinda like an instant marriage. Only, one you can’t go and get canceled when you decide you don’t like the husband anymore.”

He blinked, a violent rush of colour burning beneath his skin. “Are you saying that you would mark me as your mate if you bit me?”

He shook his head and let go of him as he took a step back. Then took another. Wishing that he hadn’t smoked his last cigarette, Theo raked his hair back from his face and said, “There would have to be an emotional connection between us for that to happen.”

“Oh.” He took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. “And…are your emotions involved?”

Instead of answering, he braced his hands on his hips, his gaze focused intently on the grass at his feet. “You should be considering yourself lucky that I haven’t done it,” he rasped. “I’m more animal than man, Li. Nowhere near that perfect little world of normal that you want.”

Even without looking at him, he could feel the way he flinched. “That’s not fair, Theo. I never said that was the life I wanted.”

“Just the one you thought you were meant to have.” His mouth twisted with something too tight and bitter to be a smile. “And you were right. Which is why I’m…”

“What?” he asked, refastening his jeans.

“Forget it,” he muttered, not wanting to get into it with him, knowing it was going to be bad.

At least he knew, now, that he’d made the right choice in deciding to leave so soon. It had been hard enough not to bite him before, but now that he’d given him permission, there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d be able to keep control. He could stand there and promise himself that he wouldn’t slip up until he was blue in the face, but it wouldn’t mean anything. Wouldn’t change the truth.

“What were you going to say?” he whispered, unwilling to let it go. “You’re not going to what?”

Pushing his hands deep into his pockets, he lifted his heavy gaze back to his face and said, “Cora is nearly done with the next map.”

He stared back at him, puzzled, not yet connecting the dots.

Theo cleared his throat. Forced it out. “She said it looks like the next Marker’s buried somewhere in Finland.”

Comprehension dawned like a slow spill of horror, widening his eyes. “And you’re going to go after it? You’re going to leave us?”

“Not yet,” he rasped, hating the way he was looking at him. “Not until you’re safe in England.”

“But when we get there, you’re going to leave?” he pressed, taking a step forward, his blue eyes swimming with tears. With dark, painful understanding. “And when you go, that’s going to be the end, isn’t it? I mean, for us. For you and me.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Tell me the truth.” His voice shook, trembling with emotion. “Tell me that when you leave it’s going to be over between us.”

He clenched his jaw, curling his hands into hard fists inside his pockets. “Don’t act so surprised, Li. You knew what you were getting into.”

“Damn it, just tell me!” he shouted, taking another step forward. “I want to hear you say it!”

“Fine!” he growled, his voice so harsh it barely even sounded human. “When I’m gone, that’s it. I won’t come near you again.”

“You bastard!” Liam cried.

“This is for the best.” He ground out the words.

Why?” he demanded, feeling as if he was going to be sick. “Because I’m human, like Schrader and your mother? Because you’re going to blame me for what they did to you? God,” he cried, “all this time I’ve been telling myself that eventually, after you got to know me, it wouldn’t matter. But it does. Because you won’t let it not matter. I knew better, damn it. But I let my heart overrule my head and I’m paying for it now.”

He made a low sound in the back of his throat. “I’m doing you a favour, Li. Instead of being pissed, you should be thanking me. Better to cut our losses now, before things get any more complicated than they already are.”

Squeezing his eyes closed against a hot rush of tears, he turned his head to the side for a moment, then forced himself to look back at him as he took a deep breath and said, “I feel sorry for you, Theo. You probably don’t care why, but I’m going to tell you anyway. I feel sorry for you because you’re so buried in the past, you can’t see the things that are right in front of you.”

“No matter what you’re feeling right now, the reality is that we don’t have a future. We never did,” he argued in a sharp, gritty voice, the lines in his face deepening, adding a grim edge of bitterness to his hard, masculine beauty. “You’ll realise that sooner or later, because the truth is that I’m not a man, Li. Not a human one. I might look like you, but I’m not.”

“And you really think that matters to me?” Soft, tear-filled words that he wished could have been stronger.

“Maybe not now,” he grunted, jerking his chin toward him. “But one day you’d wake up and realise what you’d gotten yourself into.”

“That’s such a crock,” he snapped.

“Jesus, you just don’t get it, do you?” he growled, his chest heaving, his golden gaze blazing with fury and frustration. “You think you know me, but you don’t. And I don’t like wanting something that I know I don’t deserve. Sooner or later you’d come to your senses about the kind of man I am, about the differences between us, and then guess where that’d leave me? Getting fucked, that’s where.”

“So then you’re going to screw me over instead?”

“No, damn it. It isn’t like that,” he argued, though he knew damn well that it was. “I think…I think you’re a great person, Liam. One of the best I’ve ever known.” His gaze slid away, his voice thick as he said, “Even after learning about my past, you didn’t…you just…you surprised me. But we’ve got to face the facts.”

“It’s a fact that I care about you, Theo.”

He wanted to believe him. To believe that he wouldn’t wake up one day and look at him with disgust. That he wouldn’t ever hurt him or betray him. But he couldn’t. Maybe that part of him had been broken. Crushed out of him. Damaged and destroyed. Whatever the reason, he was incapable of trusting anyone now. Of ever truly putting his faith in another person. Even someone as amazing as Liam.

“You’re just…confused right now,” he grunted, barely managing to scrape out the hoarse words as he forced his gaze back onto his face, his shattered expression making him feel like the biggest bastard alive.

“So then that’s it? You won’t even give me a chance to prove myself?”

He wanted to say yes, that he would. Wanted to tell him so many things, but he couldn’t do it. He was trapped behind a wall that he couldn’t batter down. Couldn’t break. “I can’t. It…it doesn’t matter what I want, Li. The fact is that I don’t have it in me. Why go through the trouble, when I already know how it’s going to end?”

“That’s not true. You don’t know anything of the sort.”

A muscle ticked in his temple as he held his stare. “No matter how you look at it, I know I’d never be able to give you a life that’s anywhere close to a normal one.”

Wrapping his arms around his middle, he said, “I wish you’d stop throwing that back in my face, because I made a mistake. I thought normal was where someone like me belonged. I thought that was all I could handle, but it’s not. I was wrong, and I’m adult enough to admit it. Haven’t you ever been wrong, Theo? Haven’t you ever changed? For the better?”

“People don’t change, Li.”

“You’re wrong,” he argued, shaking his head. “We grow, Theo. We live and we learn. And we find love, usually when we least expect it.”

His reaction was instantaneous, his rage blasting against him like the hot, blistering force of an explosion. “This isn’t love!” he snarled, cutting his right hand through the air as if he could swipe his soft words from existence. “Christ, you don’t love me. You can’t love me. You’re just confusing pleasure with some ridiculous emotion because you don’t know any better!”

His words were so sharp he felt bruised. Beaten. He reeled back, his face brittle, like a mask. One made of fragile porcelain that was about to crack, shattering into a million fractured pieces.

_ Not in front of him. Get away…and then you can break down. Then you can fall apart. _

“I think…I think that you should just stay away from me,” he whispered, the look on his face stopping him in his tracks. His hands shook. A muscle twitched in his hard jaw. And his eyes…no, he couldn’t look at them, hating what he saw there. Distrust. Anger. Fear. “I won’t run. I won’t risk Tori like that. But…just give me some space. I don’t want to be around you, Theo. Not anymore.”

Choking on his tears, Liam turned his back on him and started to walk away.

His rough voice reached out to him, painfully stark, as if it had been stripped down to the rawest, bleakest of emotions. “You don’t trust me either, Li. You might think you do, but it’s not real.”

Wiping the tears from his face, he kept walking as he said, “Open your eyes, Theo. I’ve been putting my trust in you from the beginning.”

Then he made his way toward the others…and not once did he look back.


	21. Chapter 21

_ The Lake District, England _

_ Friday afternoon _

It had been the strangest day. A beginning, since they would soon be arriving at their new home. And an end, because Liam knew that Theo would be leaving not long after they reached their destination.

He’d awakened that morning to find him giving a giggling Tori rides around the private garden of the cottage they’d stayed in overnight. Theo had fully shifted into his wolf form, and Tori had been riding on his back, clutching handfuls of his thick fur in her hands. He’d been worried that he might shun Tori, after the things Liam had said to him, but he was still as devoted as ever to the little girl. It was just Liam he gave a wide berth to, though he was doing his best to avoid him, as well.

After a harrowing drive up to the coast of Maine the day before, they’d chartered a private plane and flown across the Atlantic, to a rural airstrip in Scotland. Tori’s medicine had worked perfectly, and he’d slept through most of the flight, while Theo had been a nervous, foulmouthed wreck the entire time. Liam knew he’d been worried about a Darach attack while they were in the air, but he also suspected that the animal in him didn’t like soaring through the clouds, preferring to have its feet planted firmly on the ground. They’d spent the night near the airport, in the quaint country cottage that Isaac had leased for them, and after packing up that morning, they’d headed south, into England. The drive had gone more quickly than he’d expected, and they were already travelling up the winding road that led to the house he and Tori would apparently be calling home. Liam knew he should feel something about that, but there was nothing. Just a hollow void in his chest, emotionless and still.

Finally, after all that had happened, he’d gone into safety mode and shut down. Completely. It was either that or fall apart. And falling apart simply wasn’t an option when you were on the run for your life…and the life of someone you loved.

At the thought of the L word, he inwardly cringed, remembering his heartfelt declaration on Wednesday. It had hurt, but he’d had to wake up and face reality, no matter how painful it was. Theo didn’t want his love, because he didn’t love him in return. Or maybe he couldn’t. Either way, he’d thrown the idea back in his face before he could even get it said, making his feelings clear.

Of course, he and Theo weren’t the only ones on edge. They’d met up with Isaac Lahey when they’d landed, and the instant the wolf had spotted Danny in their group, tempers had flared. It was obvious, even to an outsider like Liam, that the two had a turbulent past—one that caused the tall werewolf to glower every time he was in the same room with the shifter. Danny, however, had handled the situation with a cool, I-couldn’t-care-less-what-you-think-of-me kind of attitude that Liam secretly envied, wishing he could be that poised and in control. It was only when Isaac wasn’t looking at him that a powerful flash of emotion smouldered in Danny’s eyes, the flames vanishing the instant Isaac glanced his way again.

“We’ll be there soon,” Brett murmured, pulling Liam’s attention back to the present. He and Tori and Danny were all riding with Brett in a rented Land Rover, while the others followed in two similar vehicles. Danny was watching a movie in the backseat with Tori, while Liam sat in the front with Brett. “That’s Ito House up there,” he told him, pointing toward the majestic rise of the sandstone building just visible through a mass of swaying treetops.

“My God.” Squinting against the last rays of the late-afternoon sunset, he struggled to see the details more clearly, thinking it looked like a castle. “It must have been amazing to grow up in a place like that.”

Brett snorted. “It was actually kinda cold.” His dry tone made it obvious he wasn’t talking about the temperature. “My grandmother was about as soft as those stone walls.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. That couldn’t have been easy.”

Rolling his shoulder, he said, “Aw, we did okay. I had Isaac, and he was the best brother any kid could have ever wanted.”

He couldn’t help but smile. “It’s obvious the two of you are close.”

“I drive him crazy,” Brett remarked with a husky bark of laughter, “but he loves me, faults and all.”

Liam laughed as well, but as they made the next turn in the road, the soft sound turned sharply to a gasp. “The bridge is out!” he exclaimed, staring through the windshield at what remained of the wooden structure that should have spanned the fast-moving stream on the road ahead of them.

“Yeah,” Brett murmured, bringing the car to a slow stop. “Deaton warned Isaac that it’d gone out a few years ago during a storm. We plan on getting the bridge rebuilt as soon as possible.”

“Deaton?” he asked, trying to recall if he’d heard the name before.

“He was the estate’s caretaker when my grandfather was alive,” Brett explained, pulling the Land Rover onto the side of the private road, while the others parked behind him. “He’s ancient now, living down in the local village. Isaac called him and got him to have the village priest come up and bless the moat.”

Raising his brows, he said, “And no one thought that was an odd request?”

The wolf snorted as he turned off the engine. “The locals have always thought everything that happens up here is odd. For centuries there have been rumours circulating that the estate is haunted. They say that if you listen at night, you can sometimes hear things howling at the moon.”

Liam slanted him a wry look. “Considering you come from a family of werewolves, it sounds like more than mere superstition.”

“Not as far as they know,” he drawled, giving him a wink.

Peering through the windshield, he asked, “So how are we going to cross the stream?”

“There’s a stone pedestrian bridge that survived the storm, so we’ll have to make our way there on foot. The bridge will take about ten minutes to get to, but there’s a path through the trees that leads to it.”

Well, hell. He didn’t like the sound of that. Especially after the faint message that Lydia had received from Allison during the night, warning that they needed to reach the house as quickly as possible. Tori was still wearing the Dark Marker that Theo had hung around her neck a week ago, and as a precaution, Liam, Lydia and Parrish had been given Markers to wear as well, the ornate crosses now hanging around their necks from black velvet cords. Laura had been carrying the Markers, which she’d brought, in a secured case, from the Preserve when they’d escaped—but the Pack and Buchanans had agreed that they should be taken out today and used for protection.

Liam only hoped they didn’t need them.

It didn’t take long to get everyone organised, no more than a handful of minutes passing before they found the path to the bridge. They travelled in a long line, with Theo in the lead, while Brett and Isaac brought up the rear. They’d opted to leave their luggage back in the cars for the time being, deciding it would be better to focus on getting everyone to safety first.

As they made their way along the winding trail, Liam couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of the scenery, with its sloping, tree-covered hills and the occasional outcropping of rock. It was beautiful, in a strange, mystical kind of way, like slipping into a fairy tale, and Liam whispered quietly in Tori’s little ear, pointing out each new discovery as he carried the child in his arms.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Danny suddenly murmured, walking at his side.

“You do?”

Danny nodded, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. “The back of my neck is tingling, which is never a good sign. Just stay sharp and keep your eyes open for anything unusual.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “As if this whole situation isn’t unusual,” he muttered.

Danny’s mouth curled with a crooked smile. “You know what I mean.”

He did, and the idea prompted him to go ahead and do something he’d been putting off for two days now. “Would you mind keeping an eye on Tori for me?” he asked. “I need to have a quick word with Theo about something.”

“Sure thing,” Danny agreed, taking the little girl in her arms. “Tori and I are best buds, aren’t we, sweet thang?”

Liam brushed a quick kiss against his niece’s cheek, then took a deep breath and jogged ahead on the narrow path, around Derek and Lydia, until he reached Theo. He didn’t turn to look at him as he moved to his side, but by the tightening of his jaw he knew he was aware of his presence.

He coughed, took another deep breath, then said, “I, um, I need to talk to you.”

“Thought you were pissed off at me,” he said in a low voice, sliding him a quick, wary look before focusing on the trail again.

“I am,” he whispered, wetting his lips. “But…this isn’t about me. I need to ask you a favour.”

He gave a sharp nod, still not looking at him as he waited for him to go on. “If something happens to me—”

“Nothing’s going to happen to you,” he grunted, cutting him off.

“I know you’ll do your best to protect us,” he murmured, rubbing his wounded arm. It no longer hurt, but it was still a stark reminder of how close he’d come to death. “But things go wrong, Theo. If something happens, I want your promise that you’ll look after Tori.”

“You mean find her a good family?”

“No. I mean look after her yourself.” He remembered his poignant reaction when Tori had given him one of her drawings—how concerned he always was that Tori was not only safe, but happy—and knew, without any doubt, that he was doing the right thing. “I want…I want you to raise her as your daughter. I realise that it’s a lot to ask, but she…cares for you, and I know you would do everything in your power to protect her.”

Liam was so wrapped up in his thoughts, it actually took him a second before he noticed that he was no longer walking beside him. Turning around, he found him just standing there, in the middle of the path. “You want me to adopt her?” he croaked, looking as if he’d been smacked upside the head with a two-by-four, his expression completely dazed.

Nodding, he said, “Yes. If something happens, that’s exactly what I want.”

He muttered something foul under his breath, then shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking again. “Well, like I said before, nothing’s going to happen to you, Liam.”

“You don’t know that,” he told him, keeping his voice gentle, since he was certainly wound up enough for both of them. “Things happen, Theo. Life’s like that. I just…I need your promise.”

It seemed like forever before he finally said, “I’d do it.” His voice was gruff, edged with tension and strain and things he could tell he was trying hard to hide. “If it had to be done, I’d…yeah, I’d adopt her.”

“Thank you, Theo.”

***

By the time Theo managed to choke down the lump of emotion lodged in his throat, Liam had already walked away, heading back to Tori and Danny. Scrubbing his hands down his face, he struggled to get himself under control. He couldn’t have surprised him more if he’d asked him to get a sex change and start calling himself Lola.

Coming up beside him, Derek slapped him on the shoulder. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, reaching into his back pocket for his pack of cigarettes, then scraping out a coarse swearword when he remembered he’d left them back in the car.

“You know,” Derek murmured, “it’ll be easier if you just give in.”

Theo scowled, but found he couldn’t hold on to the anger. He was reeling, even harder than before. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t wrap his brain around the idea that Liam trusted him to be a good father to Tori, and he was afraid of letting his thoughts run with it, not knowing where they might lead. What did it mean? He didn’t know, and he was too damn tired to figure it out. His beast urged him to act from his heart…from instinct, but his fear still had him mired in doubt and denial.

“You should listen to Derek,” said a soft, husky voice. “He knows what he’s talking about, Theo.”

Slanting a dark look toward the petite redhead now walking at Derek’s side, he asked, “Why’d you do it, Lydia?”

She didn’t ask him to explain, knowing that he was talking about the way she’d insisted he be the one to go after Tori and Liam. “Because I thought he would be good for you,” she admitted with a soft shrug of her shoulders. “He sounded like a strong man, but one with a big heart.”

He let out a sharp, explosive sigh. “And you didn’t think it would matter that he’s human?”

“It shouldn’t,” she murmured, her eyes gentle as she caught his dark gaze. “In fact, I was hoping that might help you get over your issues.”

“I don’t have issues,” he growled.

Lydia’s sharp laugh earned her a heavy glare, but she simply smiled in return. “Honestly, Theo. Liam Dunbar is exactly what you need. A loving man who won’t let you walk all over him. At first, it was just wishful thinking on my part that something might develop between the two of you, but after seeing how you are with him, I think I got it right.”

“Well, don’t go patting yourself on the back,” he sneered. “Because in case you didn’t notice, things haven’t exactly worked out.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard that animals can be ornery when they get cornered,” she groaned, “but honestly, Theo, you’re taking this to the extreme. The only reason things aren’t working out is because you’re acting like a jackass. Think about it. A family would do you good.”

A family. The word wormed its way through his mind, completely at ease there. He hadn’t even realised what the word truly meant until Liam had shown him what it could be.

As the path wound around a massive outcropping of rock on their right that stood taller than Theo’s head, the narrow pedestrian bridge finally came into view up ahead of them. The house loomed in the distance on the other side of the stream, and Theo suddenly had the strangest urge to run back, grab Liam and Tori and race for the safety of its walls. Pulling in a deep breath, he searched the air for any signs of danger, but a strong headwind was blowing down the valley. He knew nothing was ahead of them, but that didn’t mean something couldn’t be sneaking up on them from behind.

“You got the same feeling I’ve got?” Derek suddenly muttered, scanning their surroundings with a narrow gaze. The outcropping of rock completely blocked them on the right, while a small area of moss-covered ground spread out on their left, bordered by a thick wall of trees. “Like we’re not alone out here anymore?”

Before Theo could answer, Liam came running up to him with Tori clutched in his arms. Cora followed just behind with a gun clutched in her hands. “Danny and the others sent us ahead,” Liam panted. “He wanted me to tell you that they’ve picked up a scent, but it’s faint. They’re checking it out now.”

“We need to get Tori up to the house,” Theo said in a low voice, reaching behind him for his Glock. “And we need to do it quickly.”

“It’s too late.” The whispered words came from Tori, and everyone stopped, staring at Tori’s pale face, her brown eyes shocked wide with fear. “They’re already here.”

“Who’s here?” Liam asked, sliding a worried look toward Theo.

“All of them,” Tori whispered, lifting her face toward the sky. Following her line of sight, Theo felt his gut clench as he caught sight of three Darachs flying in over the swaying treetops. As they came closer, their rank stench reached his nose, their yellow eyes burning through the thickening, lavender shades of twilight. The creatures were each different, and yet similar. The same cadaverous white skin. Same small horns and eyes, as well as jagged fangs.

The ground began to vibrate with the hard, heavy pounding of fast-moving bodies, but Theo could tell from the scent that it was Isaac and the others. They came rushing around the curve in the path, their weapons drawn and at the ready. “Beasts are coming,” Isaac growled, his rugged face etched with grim lines of worry. “From the scents we picked up, there’s a lot of them.”

“We’ve got Darachs, too,” Derek told them, jerking his chin toward the sky.

Holding a Beretta in one hand and one of his knives in the other, Nolan muttered, “Shit, this just keeps getting better and better.”

“I say we make a run for it, hard and fast,” Malia grunted, keeping close to Cora’s side.

Sniffing at the air, Theo shook his head. “There isn’t time. If they catch up with us on the bridge, we’ll be trapped out in the open. We’ve got to make a stand here.” Looking around at the other Pack members, he said, “Keep your back against the rocks. We’re not going to waste time tonight trying to use the Markers to fry these assholes. Just fight to kill. Does everyone have their flasks?”

Nods went around the group as everyone pulled out the flasks of salted holy water they’d picked up on their way through Tennessee, and then they quickly got into position.

***

Checking to make sure that Tori still had her Marker hanging around her neck, Liam clutched the little girl tighter against his chest and pressed his back against the craggy wall of rock, while Theo positioned his tall, muscular body in front of them for protection, his friends fanning out at his sides. He wanted to reach out and touch his shoulder, asking him to promise him that he’d be careful, but right then a howl sounded in the distance, echoing through the thickening twilight. It was a stark, sadistic sound, conjuring images of torture and pain. The kind that made chills break out across the surface of his body, and he felt the bonds of his emotional lockdown begin to strain and snap.

One second everyone was locked in that tensed, charged moment of terrifying expectation…and in the next, more than twenty tall gray forms burst through the trees, and the battle with the Beasts began. All around them, muscular bodies exploded into action, the darkening evening filled with the sickening sound of flesh being ripped by claws and teeth and bullets. Laura used her telekinetic powers to pull the weapons away from those Beasts who were armed, but the monsters were still a formidable enemy. They attacked with a fast, brutal savagery, and while Isaac and the others fought to hold them back, Theo’s deadly aim with a gun was being put to good use. He’d already managed to shoot three Beasts through the head when a Darach swooped down on him. The heinous creature slammed him to the ground, his gun knocked away as it slashed at him with its deadly claws. Panicked, Liam was still fumbling with his flask, trying to get the lid off while holding Tori, when Cora came to the rescue, flinging a stream of the salted holy water across the Darach’s pale back. An unearthly scream ripped from the creature’s chest, and then it was gone, disappearing as quickly as it had come.

As Liam breathed a sigh of relief and Theo moved swiftly back to his feet, a man stepped casually from between two nearby trees. He was still in the form of his human host, rangy and tall, with chiselled features and shaggy mahogany-coloured hair that whipped against the sides of his face, but she could tell without any doubt that he was a Beast. A cruel smile curved his thin mouth as he looked out over the violent scene, his pale eyes smouldering with anticipation, as though he couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

Tilting his head back, he drew in a deep breath, then smacked his lips, his ice-blue gaze sliding toward Liam with a hungry look that made his skin crawl.

“Adrian,” he whispered, knowing he was right. “Theo!” he called out, raising his voice to be heard over the rough sounds of fighting. “It’s Adrian! The one I told you about. The one who’s hunting Tori!”

Quickly finishing off the Beast he’d been grappling with, Theo turned and followed the direction of his terrified gaze.

Looking for all the world as if he was out for a Sunday stroll, the Beast came closer, his smile widening as Theo moved nearer to Liam and spread his arms out from his sides in a protective stance. “Well, well, well. Look who we have here,” Adrian drawled, sliding his gaze toward Tori. “Do you know who I am, sweetheart?”

Tori tightened her arms around Liam’s neck as he bared his teeth in a grin and said, “I’m the monster who ate your mama.”

Gasping, Liam pressed Tori’s head against his shoulder, then covered her other ear so she couldn’t hear. It terrified him how silent and still Tori had become since the fighting had begun, and he silently prayed that the little girl was okay.

“Mmm, she is sweet-looking, isn’t she?” Adrian said with a low, husky rumble of laughter. “She’s meant to be saved for Douglas, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to take her for myself.”

“Shut your damn mouth,” Theo snarled, flexing his claws at his sides.

“Or what?” Adrian asked, lifting one brow in an arrogant arch as he slid his icy gaze toward Theo. “You’re going to kill me, shifter?”

Theo’s amber eyes narrowed to menacing slits. “You’ll die no matter what you say. The only question is how much I make it hurt before you go.”

“Ooh, you are a cocky one, aren’t you?” Adrian said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. “I wonder how cocky you’ll be when I’m covered in Liam’s blood, standing over his broken little body.”

The dark, visceral sound that tore out of Theo’s throat was that of a deadly predator protecting its territory. He launched himself at the Beast with his claws and fangs fully extended, and Liam could only watch in horror as they tore at each other, Adrian’s fingers transformed into gnarled, claw-tipped weapons. Theo was magnificent in his fury, his skill far superior to that of his rival, but Adrian wasn’t looking for a fair fight. Almost immediately he screamed for backup, singling out two of his fully shifted brethren for the job. The massive creatures raced across the clearing and joined the fight just as Theo and Adrian disappeared into the trees—and Liam knew he had to do something. It didn’t matter how good a fighter Theo was, he was desperately outnumbered, and his friends were all too busy with their own battles to come to his aid.

Which meant that it was up to him. He might have lost his hope for a future with the stubborn, bitter shape-shifter, but that hadn’t changed the fact that he was madly in love with him.

Looking around, he spotted Lydia standing close by, the woman’s terrified gaze focused on Derek as he fought off two Beasts at the same time, his body shifted into its lethally powerful Hale form. Grabbing Lydia’s arm, he quickly said, “I need you to take care of Tori for me.”

“Why?” Lydia asked, dragging her attention away from Derek to send a worried look toward Liam. “What are you going to do?”

“Please,” Liam begged. “I don’t have time to explain, but Theo’s in trouble with the Beasts. I need your help.”

Lydia hesitated, her troubled gaze going from Liam’s face to the battle that raged a few feet away.

“Lydia, please,” Liam pleaded. “If it was Derek, you wouldn’t just stand by and watch.”

“Okay,” Lydia answered swiftly, slipping the Marker she was wearing over her head and handing it to Liam. “On one condition. You take this with you.”

“But I already have one,” he argued.

Lydia’s brows drew together, her eyes steely as she reached for Tori and pulled her against her chest. “Which means they won’t think that you have another one, will they? You can use that against them.”

“Right,” Liam whispered, slipping the second pike into his pocket. “Wish me luck.”

As Lydia squeezed his hand and told him to be careful, Liam pressed a hard, quick kiss to Tori’s cold cheek, whispering that he loved her and would be right back. Then he turned and made his way through the swirling battle as quickly as he could, heading toward the trees where he’d last seen Theo. Following the sounds of their grunts and snarls, Liam reached them just as the two fully shifted Beasts got hold of Theo’s arms and trapped them behind his back.

“Kill him,” Adrian spat out, wiping his bleeding mouth with the back of his hand.

“No!” Liam shouted, and all four heads whipped toward him, their faces revealing various levels of surprise.

“How sweet,” Adrian murmured, his mouth twisting with a snide smile. “The little human’s come to watch you die.”

“He has a Marker,” Theo snarled, his muscles bulging as he strained to break free from the two monsters holding him. “You won’t be able to hurt him.”

Adrian shrugged. “I can still take him prisoner. Sooner or later I’ll find a way to get the Marker off him. And then he’ll be mine.”

He could see that Theo was seething with fury, the tendons in his neck sticking out in stark relief as he growled, “You stay the fuck away from him!”

Returning his attention to the Beasts, Adrian said, “What are you waiting for? Gut the bastard.”

“No! Wait! Don’t hurt him!” Liam yelled, rushing forward and falling to his knees. “Please! I’ll go with you. Do whatever you want. Just…just don’t hurt him!”

“Get the hell out of here, Liam!” It was clear from the savage sound of Theo’s voice that he was beyond furious with him.

Taking the pike from around his neck, Liam held it out to the Beast on his open palm, offering it up to him. “Here, you can take this,” he whispered, shaking so hard that his teeth were chattering. “You can have it. Just…let him go. Please!”

“What are you doing?” Theo roared, and though he wasn’t looking at him, his watery gaze focused purposefully on Adrian, Liam could hear him struggling to free himself. “Put that bloody Marker back on!”

Watching him carefully, Adrian walked toward him. “You’re playing a dangerous game,” he murmured.

“No game,” he told him, his voice breaking from the tears that were pouring down his face. “I swear. Here, take it. Just…just let him go.”

Adrian came closer, and a low snarl rumbled deep in Theo’s throat. “I’m warning you,” he growled. “Touch him and you’re going to pay for it.”

Ignoring the guttural threat, Adrian took the Marker from Liam’s hand, his eyes glowing as he reached down and stroked his gnarled, claw-tipped fingers against the side of his face. “You’re not very clever, are you, sweetheart? Still, I didn’t travel all this way because I’m interested in your intellect, now, did I?”

With tears pouring from his eyes, Liam forced himself to hold his stare, the terrified look on his face one he didn’t have to fake. Turning his back on him, he began walking toward Theo, and he could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “I can’t decide whether I should kill you now, shifter, or keep you alive long enough to watch the fun your little human and I are going to have together. Do you have a preference?”

“Go fuck yourself,” Theo grunted, and Liam could hear Adrian chuckling softly under his breath as he moved slowly to her feet. He was careful to keep his head down, lest the monsters holding Theo looked up and saw his intentions written all over his face. Adrian was still talking, his voice low and taunting as he began to describe in vile detail all the things he was planning to do to him. Reaching into his front pocket, he curled his hand around the pike that Lydia had given him, pressing it against his palm in the way that Brett explained it had to be done in order to release the Marker’s power. The pain was instantaneous, the blistering sensation radiating from his hand into his entire arm so excruciating, it was as if he’d reached into the heart of a fire. He ground his teeth together to keep from screaming, and knew he had to act quickly, before the others noticed what he was doing.

Only a handful of steps separated him from Adrian, and as he pulled his hand from his pocket, Liam sprinted toward him, aiming for the base of his neck, just as Brett had described. A sizzling, crackling noise filled the air, accompanied by Theo’s roar of shock…as well as Adrian’s outraged cry of pain. He tried to twist away from him, but a scorching ball of flame engulfed his arm, and in the next instant his hand sank deep into the son of a bitch’s body, locking him into him. His skin instantly began to blister, a hot, molten glow of crimson and orange burning beneath its surface, and Liam turned his head away from the gruesome sight, his agonised screams blending with the horrific sounds tearing from Adrian’s throat as the pain in his arm intensified. His tall body jolted and shook with violent spasms, wrenching his shoulder as he fought to keep his balance, and he was thankful that he was in his human form, since he never would have been able to reach his target if he had fully shifted.

Praying that it was going to be over soon, Liam struggled to breathe as the flames grew hotter, the stark sound of the Beast’s cries echoing painfully through his skull. Just when he was sure he was going to lose consciousness, his body finally exploded in a powerful, bone-cracking blast, the force of it knocking him clear off his feet.

He could feel the air rushing past his body as he soared over the ground.

Could hear Theo’s choked cry of horror.

And then there was nothing but a blessed, silent darkness.


	22. Chapter 22

As Liam slowly came to, he realised the blast had knocked him a long way from where he’d been standing. He also realised that the roaring in his ears was actually Theo shouting at him as he crouched over his body, checking for injuries.

“What were you thinking?” he demanded in a rough voice the instant he lifted his swimming gaze to his grim, blood-spattered face.

He shook his head, wincing as he tried to sit up. “I don’t know. It was the only thing I could think of.”

“Here,” he grunted, offering him his hand so that he could pull him to his feet. He gripped his shoulders, waiting for his dizziness to pass, then let go of him, shoving his fingers back through his hair so hard that he winced for his poor scalp. “Is your arm okay?”

Liam nodded, surprised to find that there wasn’t any lingering pain, considering how badly it had hurt when the Marker had gone into weapon mode, creating its Arm of Fire. Somehow he’d retained his hold on the pike, and he slipped it over his head.

“How did you even know how to use the Marker like that?” he asked, forcing the words out through gritted teeth.

Looking around at the smouldering piles of ashes that littered the ground, he coughed, then managed to say, “Brett explained it all to me during the drive today. At first, I was worried Tori might accidentally hold her pike against her palm, but Brett said her hands are too small to make it work.”

He let out a sharp, explosive sigh. “Liam, look at me.”

“Yeah?” he said, lifting his gaze back to his beautiful, angry face.

“I can’t believe you took that kind of risk.” The words were hoarse, thick, his eyes burning with a look of pure, savage fury.

“I had to do something, Theo. They were going to kill you.”

He stiffened, his narrowed gaze boring deep into his eyes as if he was trying to read his mind. “And why the hell would that matter?” he rasped.

“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.” He sighed, looking around again. “What happened to the other Beasts? The ones who were holding you?”

Scrubbing his hands down his face, he said, “The blast knocked us all to the ground, and they weren’t so lucky against me when it was just the two of them.”

“Where are their bodies?” he asked, noticing that fresh claw marks were torn across his arms and chest, his shirt completely shredded.

“I hid them,” he muttered, jerking his chin toward a thick cluster of trees.

Liam shivered, glad the monsters’ bloodied corpses were hidden from his view. God only knew he’d already seen enough blood that evening to last him a lifetime.

“We need to get back to Tori,” he whispered, filled with a sudden sense of urgency as his thoughts finally began to clear. “I had to leave her with Lydia when I came after you.”

Walking over to the spot where Adrian had been standing, Theo quickly reached down, snatched up the Marker that the Beast had taken from him and slipped it into his pocket. Then they rushed through the trees, back toward the path, and found Theo’s friends fighting what looked to be a losing battle. Though there were Beast’s bodies littering the ground, all of them slowly transforming back into the shape of their human hosts, too many of the creatures still stood, more bloodthirsty than ever.

“Stay close to me,” Theo commanded, taking his hand as they began working their way through the surging press of bodies. Liam nearly wept with relief when he spotted Tori crouched against the craggy outcropping of rock, flanked by Lydia and Malia, who were both holding guns and firing bullets at any Beast who tried to come near them. Tori’s beautiful little face was completely blank, like a doll’s, until she spotted Liam and Theo coming toward her. The little girl blinked, and then her lower lip began to tremble, just as her small body was suddenly racked by violent tremors, and even with her human senses, Liam could tell that something was wrong.

“What’s happening to her?” he gasped.

“I have no idea,” Theo grunted. “But she’s throwing off power like crazy.”

They wove their way through the battle as quickly as they could, trying to reach her, but when they were no more than ten yards away from Tori, one of the two Beasts who’d been fighting Isaac caught sight of them. With his bloodied jaws gaping, the monster turned suddenly and began to charge. Theo shouted for Liam to run as he released his claws and turned to face the quickly approaching Beast, its open mouth revealing rows of sharp, jagged fangs. Knowing Theo could handle the monster on his own, Liam was trying to make his way around Brett and the two Beasts he was fighting when one of the bastards slammed into him as he reared away from a lethal slash of the wolf’s claws. Losing his balance, Liam hit the ground. Hard. His head spun from the impact, until a high-pitched cry suddenly filled the air, jarring him back to awareness, the sound so sharp he wanted to cover his ears. For an instant everyone stopped fighting, while the strange cry filled the air, becoming louder, sharper. And then it stopped.

Everything was silent. Still. And then the most bizarre thing began to happen.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked Theo, unable to believe what he was seeing as he quickly pulled him to his feet. The Beasts had turned on one another, their heavy gray bodies rolling over the ground as they tore at their brothers with their muzzled mouths, ripping their gnarled claws through tough, leathery flesh. And it wasn’t just the Beasts. Even the Darachs were fighting amongst themselves up in the sky, slashing and biting at one another, the sounds they made reminding Liam of screeching alley cats. “Why are they doing that?”

“I don’t know,” Theo muttered, looking around, his gut cramping with a fresh surge of worry when he realised what was happening. “Oh, shit,” he rasped. “I think it’s Tori. She’s doing it. Somehow she’s making it happen.”

“What?” Liam gasped. “That’s not poss…” His denial died as quickly as it had started when he turned and saw the same thing that had snagged Theo’s attention. Tori was standing on her feet, her small face deathly white, while her dark eyes shone like twin beams of blinding light. And some kind of strange, fiery blue glow seemed to be burning from inside her body, radiating out through her skin. Malia and Lydia were both trying to reach for her, but it was as if they were going up against an opposing force that was pushing them back, keeping them away.

“Everyone get across the bridge and up to the house! Now!” Theo shouted, knowing they needed to get out of there while they still could. Grabbing Liam’s hand, he ran toward Tori, the power emanating from the child nearly knocking him to the ground. Gritting his teeth, he refused to go down. He snatched Tori’s glowing body up into his arms and crushed her against his chest. She trembled against him, then threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight as he started running, pulling Liam along behind him as they all raced across the pedestrian bridge.

Tori’s body was no longer glowing, the power pulling back inside her, which meant that any surviving Beast or Darach might very well start coming after them again. Pounding up the path toward the house, the group finally made it to the sprawling lawn that wrapped around the building’s wide, circular moat. Derek was up ahead, shouting for everyone to hurry, and their whoops of triumph blended with groans of pain as everyone made their way across the ancient drawbridge that spanned the moat.

A swift headcount confirmed that everyone had made it, and Laura began working the levers to raise the drawbridge, just in case any Beasts decided to follow. Though from the looks of things, it seemed that any remaining Beast had decided to turn tail and run. The Darachs, however, were a different matter. As the tired, blood-covered band stood on the deep stone porch waiting for the drawbridge to close, they spotted the Darachs speeding through the sky, their bodies silhouetted against the moon as the creatures headed straight for them.

“Anyone who has anything left in their flasks, get them ready,” Theo grunted, putting himself in front of Liam after he’d placed Tori in his arms. The Darachs picked up speed, moving faster, soaring high above the ground. Then they suddenly came to a crashing stop, slamming into some kind of invisible wall when they reached the moat. Hissing, they hovered in the air, glaring down at everyone gathered on the wide porch, their yellow eyes burning with hatred, before finally turning and disappearing into the night.

“Holy shit,” Nolan grunted, his deep voice thick with surprise. “It actually worked.”

“Remind me to thank Aiden when I see him,” Isaac panted, leaning his back against the massive, double wooden doors that led into the house.

“Thank him? Hell, I’m gonna kiss him,” Brett drawled, bracing his hands on his knees as he bent forward, still struggling to catch his breath.

“I think we owe Tori some appreciation, as well,” Derek murmured, sliding Tori a gentle smile. “You were amazing, sweetheart.”

***

Though she was still shivering in Liam’s arms, Tori managed a shy grin before burying her face against Liam’s throat. Liam could see the questions burning in everyone’s eyes as they all looked at his niece, wondering how Tori had managed to turn the Beasts and Darachs against each other. It had been nothing short of amazing, and Liam could only thank God that Tori seemed to be fine now, if a little shaken.

Rubbing his hand against Tori’s small back, Liam stood off to the side, listening as the others talked, until Laura finally managed to get the drawbridge completely raised and Theo suggested they get inside.

And that was when the real work began.

Because of the local legends surrounding Ito House, Deaton had apparently been unable to round up a full staff willing to come in and tackle the cleaning. Still, he’d managed to get the process started, but they still had a long, tiresome evening ahead of them. Keeping Tori close to his side, Liam had worked with Cora and Danny, rummaging through the endless number of rooms until they’d managed to get beds made up for everyone to sleep in. He hadn’t seen Theo since they’d come inside, and figured he was either busy with the others or doing his best to avoid him. Not that he’d expected anything different. Despite what had happened that afternoon, he’d given no indication that his feelings toward him had changed, and he knew better than to wish for a miracle.

After all, they’d already had their fair share of miracles that day. To ask for another seemed greedy, and he didn’t want to press their luck, no matter how sweet it would have been on a personal level just to have the stubborn shape-shifter seek him out for some simple conversation.

It was late, and they were finally done for the night. There’d been an anxious hour when most of the Pack had gone back out, heavily armed with weapons that Isaac’s grandmother had stocked in the cellar, and taken care of the bodies that had been left at the site of the battle, but they were back now. They’d also managed to retrieve the luggage from the cars, which meant that everyone would be able to sleep in clean clothes. While Danny took Tori downstairs to show her the game room they’d found, Liam went upstairs to grab a quick shower in the suite of rooms he and Tori would be sharing.

He also needed just a bit of time to himself, to try to sort out what he was going to do about Theo.

“You need to just get a grip and forget about him,” he muttered to himself as he entered the shadowed room, the only light provided by the milky glow of moonlight that spilled through the leaded windows.

Pulling off his dust-streaked sweater, he headed into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. It was a good twenty minutes later when he came back out, dressed in a loose T-shirt and a ratty pair of sweats. He’d taken no more than one or two steps into the bedroom, his head lowered as he rubbed a towel through his hair, when Theo’s deep voice rumbled through the shadows. “If it’s alright with you, I’d rather you didn’t. Forget about me, that is.”

Gasping with surprise, he looked up, and the low wash of light spilling through the bathroom door reached just far enough into the room to illuminate Theo’s long, beautiful body perched in a chair beside the bed. He sat leaning forward, with his elbows braced on his knees, his bruised hands hanging loosely between his parted legs.

“You scared me to death,” he stammered, noticing that his hair was damp and his clothes were clean, which meant that he’d already showered, as well. He also couldn’t help but notice that he was staring at him as if he wanted to eat him alive, his eyes burning with hunger, glowing a bright, mesmerising shade of amber. “What are you doing here?”

Scraping his fingers back through his hair, he spoke in a halting, gritty rumble. “Yeah, well. See, I realised something tonight.”

Too afraid to think of where this might be leading, Liam clutched the towel against his fluttering belly with both hands. “And what’s that?”

“I, uh, realised that I’m a total jackass.”

Snuffling a soft laugh under his breath, he said, “I find it hard to believe that this revelation never came to you sooner.”

His mouth twitched with a wry, crooked smile, and he shook his head. “I might be pretty, but I never claimed to be brainy. Sometimes it takes me a while to figure this emotional stuff out, and it doesn’t help that I’m stubborn as hell.”

“Sounds like you know yourself pretty well,” he murmured, tossing the towel on the foot of the bed so that he could cross his arms.

He gave a rough laugh, the husky sound melting down his spine, turning his insides to honey. But he wasn’t ready to give in. Not yet. Not when there was so much at stake. “What do you want, Theo?”

Instead of answering the question, he asked, “How’s Tori doing?”

“She’s good,” Liam told him. “Smiling. Laughing. Lydia and Cora think that what happened was some kind of psychic release of all the emotion Tori’s been bottling up since Josh first disappeared and Allison was killed. When she saw us surrounded by all the fighting, and thought she might lose us, it finally all came pouring out. Cora thinks it might even be a sign that the McCall curse could be nearing its end.”

“Christ. Is she going to be okay?”

“With all the love and attention she’s getting, I think she’s going to be just fine,” he murmured. “But you didn’t answer my question. What do you want?”

He blew out a rough breath, looking for a second as if he was going to bolt, but then he scrubbed his hands down his face and said, “I’m no good at this, but I can’t deny you anything.” Surging to his feet, he braced his hands on his lean hips in a purely masculine pose and just stood there, his chest rising and falling with his hard, ragged breathing. He was glaring at him, but he had to bite back a smile, because he could see the emotion he was trying so hard to deal with shimmering in his golden eyes. “I guess what I’m saying is that I’m an even bigger jackass than I realised, not to have been able to see what’s right in front of me.”

Liam had never imagined he would see Theo looking so nervous and unsure. So…hopeful, the unguarded look on his beautiful face melting what was left of his anger, transforming that cold, brittle ache into something soft and shivery that filled his chest, warming him from the inside out.

“You asked me once if I’d ever changed, and I have,” he rasped, his head turned a little to the side. “At least, I have now. I wouldn’t have believed it was possible, but it happened. I don’t know how, except to say that it’s because of you. Because of how I feel about you. And to think that I could have lost you today…Christ, it almost killed me.” He raked his hair back from his face again, and he noticed that his hands were trembling. Shaking. When he realised what he was looking at, he shoved his hands into his pockets and went on, saying, “I don’t want to have any more secrets from you, Li. So I guess I came here so that I can go ahead and just get it all out in the open.”

He nodded, his heart beating like the frenzied wings of a hummingbird as he waited for him to go on.

He took a deep breath, and then in a low voice he said, “I got my tats when I was fourteen. Just after I escaped from Schrader’s. One of the other kids there, Alec, was from one of the other clans called the Calaveras. He told me that in their culture it’s bad to leave the evil souls of the dead unchecked, so the warriors tattoo themselves with symbols that are meant to draw the souls back to them, if they ever escape.” He paused and glanced down at his tattooed forearms. “These markings are sort of a memorial to Alec, I guess.”

Moving a little closer, he kept his voice soft as he asked, “Why didn’t you want me to know?”

His chest shook with a low, gritty bark of laughter and he tilted his head back, staring at the high ceiling. “Because I guess there’s always been a part of me that wonders if they might actually work. Not exactly a big selling point for a relationship. Can you just imagine me saying, ‘Hey, check out my tats. Oh, and by the way, if any of the psychopathic assholes that I ripped to shreds ever crawl out of hell, these are supposed to pull them to me, so that I can try to figure out a way to kill them all over again’?” Lowering his head, he looked right at him, another wry smile lifting the corner of his mouth. “Call me crazy, but I kinda figured you had enough baddies coming after you already, without throwing something like that in the mix.”

“Theo,” he whispered, taking another step, drawn toward him as if there was some kind of powerful magnetic pull between their bodies, but he held up his big hand, silently telling him to stop. He wrapped his arms around his chest, vibrating with emotion, and waited, though it was killing him to stay away from him.

“I don’t make much of a slice of normal,” he said huskily, rubbing his fingers against his scratchy jaw as he stared so deep into his eyes, he felt as if he was sinking into him. “But hell, who wants normal anyway? You’ve had normal all your life, Li, and look what it’s gotten you. A pathetic ex who wasn’t worth the time it took you to drop him.” Like a swell rising up over the wide expanse of the ocean, he could see his confidence building, rushing against him like a warm wind. “You need me, Li. You need someone like me to show you what you’ve been missing. You need someone like me, because I might be a pain in the ass, but I’d lay down my soul before I’d let anything happen to you. It’s a hell of a thing we’re mixed up in right now. I know that. But you’re going to be in danger wherever you go, and I’m the best man for dealing with that. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you or Tori, because I refuse to lose you.”

He paused, glancing back down at his tattooed arms. “And if these markings ever do bring those bastards back to me, well, I figure you’re strong enough to help me take them on.” Lifting his gaze, he said, “You’re an amazing man, Li. One who can handle whatever life throws at him, even if it is a screwed up smart-ass like me.”

Realising that this was the most important moment of his life, he forced herself to take a deep breath and see it through, afraid that if he let himself go he might throw himself at him and tackle him to the ground. “What exactly are you saying, Theo?”

He rolled one muscled shoulder, and this time he was the one who took a step forward, his voice a dark, delicious rumble as he said, “I realised that you matter, Li.”

He shook his head and smiled. “Is that the best you can do?”

“Aw, hell,” he groaned, taking another step closer. “You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

“You’re tough,” he whispered, trying to sound sultry, though he suspected the happy, goofy grin on his face was probably ruining the effect. “You can take it.”

He took another deep breath, then let it out. “Fine. Enough of acting like a wuss. I can do this.” He walked right up to him, standing so close that he had to tilt his head back to see his face, and then he was drowning in the golden depths of his eyes as he said, “I’d just tell you that I love you, because I do, Li. But I don’t see how that one little word can do justice to what I feel for you.”

Suddenly, all the pieces that had been so broken inside him were mended into something that was perfect and pure. His heart felt hot, melted down into a molten glow that burned in his chest. He was afraid to blink. To breathe. Because he didn’t want to break the spell.

He recalled the feeling he’d had when he’d first met him, that strange, exhilarating rush of awareness that had told him he was going to need this man in his life. Need the physical presence of him to live and breathe and exist.

And in so many ways that was true. Yeah, he could have walked away, and he would have survived. He would have woken up each day, gone to bed each night. But he wouldn’t have been whole. He would, in fact, have been only half alive.

“Does this mean I get that chance to prove myself?” he asked unsteadily.

“You don’t need a chance. What you get is me. That is, if you still want me.”

He blinked, trying not to cry as he said, “You trust me not to hurt you?”

“How could I not trust you, Li? Right from the start you took everything I always thought I knew about humans and turned it on its head.” He lifted his hand, hooking his hair behind his ear. “So yeah, you have my complete and total trust. But what about you? Do you trust me not to break your heart?”

“I trust you,” he whispered. “And I love you, too.”

“God, Liam. You don’t know how good it feels to hear you say that.” And then his mouth was on his and he was lifting him into his arms…carrying him to the bed. Excitement shivered along his nerve endings as he laid him down on the cold sheets and started stripping off his clothes, then his own, the wicked glint in his eyes warning him that he was going to be in for one hell of a night.

“Are you still leaving?” he asked, the words turning into a shivery moan as he pressed a hot kiss against one sensitive nipple, and then the other.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he rasped, bracing himself over him so that he could look into his eyes. “I talked about it with Brett before I came up here. He’s going to take Nolan with him to Finland, and I’m going to stay here with you and Tori.”

“Thank God,” he whispered, curling his hands over his hard, muscular shoulders. “I mean, I know you still have a job to do, but I couldn’t stand it if you had to leave us. Not this soon.”

He leaned down and claimed his mouth with a long, ravenous kiss that made his head spin, a rush of sweet, shivering chills spreading over his body as he pressed himself between his legs. His breathing was ragged as he worked his way back down to his chest with slow, open-mouthed kisses, his tongue lapping with savouring, deliberate strokes as if he found pleasure in the simple taste of his skin. He took his time, sucking and nipping and licking until he was writhing from the pleasure…from the biting anticipation, his nails digging into his muscled backside as he rubbed the heavy length of his erection against his own.

“I need to get a condom,” he said in a raw voice when he finally pulled himself away, his heavy-lidded eyes smouldering with a sharp, feral glow. “I didn’t want to jinx myself by coming in here prepared. I need…I gotta go grab a rubber from my bag. I left it out in the hall, by the door.”

“Leave it,” he whispered, stroking his palms up the length of his back, loving the feel of all those bunched muscles beneath his sleek, fever-warm skin. “You don’t need a condom, Theo. We’re in love and I’ve been tested. So just take me already.”

“Are you sure? I mean…” He swallowed, his breath rushing in hard, ragged bursts as he shifted his gaze to the side. “There are things…that will happen if I come inside you. And once I start, I won’t be able to stop. Are you sure that’s what you want, Li?”

His answer was to reach down and eagerly take him in his hand, stroking the swollen, heavy head of his cock. “Don’t make me get rough with you,” he teased him, arching his hips, a smile on his lips.

“Wait!” he growled, his body shaking as he straightened his arms, his biceps bulging beneath his dark golden skin. “I haven’t…haven’t even told you exactly what will—”

“I don’t care,” he whispered, cutting him off. “Whatever it is, I’ll love it, Theo. If it’s a part of you, I’ll love it.”

He squeezed his eyes closed, his nostrils flaring as he obviously tried to keep himself under control.

“Look at me, Theo.” He waited until he’d opened his eyes, then reached up and held his beautiful face in his hands as he said, “I love you. Every part of you. They’re mine, and I want them.”

Theo kissed him hard and then ducked away anyway, returning moments later with not a condom, but a packet of lube, which he ripped open with his teeth and slicked over his fingers. He claimed Liam’s mouth again with a hungry snarl, thrusting one of them inside him, swallowing Liam’s needy moan. 

He wasn’t gentle as he prepared him, but Liam didn’t care, his hips rising to meet each thrust of his fingers driving inside of him, making his whole body tremble as the pleasure grew. Theo didn’t pause until he had three of his fingers buried deep inside of him, pulling away just far enough to stare into his eyes, panting for breath.

“I’m ready,” Liam urged him, groaning as the fingers withdrew and Theo’s cock rubbed over his ass. “Please-”

His words broke off with a thick gasp as he suddenly drove him against the mattress, shoving hard and deep, a rough, guttural growl tearing from his throat as he pumped his hips, working against the tightness of his body until he’d buried every inch inside him. “Oh, God. I didn’t think it could feel any better, being inside you,” he groaned, lowering his face close to hers. “But it does.”

“I know,” he whispered, loving the wild, animal intensity of him as he moved inside his body. He couldn’t get enough of the way he stared down at him as if he was the most gorgeous man in the world. He knew he wasn’t. That he was just plain, average Liam. But in Theo’s eyes he was beautiful, and that was all that mattered.

“It’s gonna happen,” he growled, his lips pulling back over his teeth as his back arched, and he felt his cock give a hard pulse, almost as if he’d had some preliminary kind of orgasm. He’d felt the sensation the other times they’d made love—only this time there wasn’t anything separating them, and the hard, thick pulse was immediately followed by a hot, molten heat that felt indescribably good as it spread through her body, and Liam could feel herself tightening around him even more. With a low growl vibrating in his chest, Theo rode him with hard, heavy lunges, thrusting against some deep, impossibly wonderful spot that damn near stopped his heart. His head shot back, his mouth open for the silent screams pouring up from his throat as a wave of pleasure rolled through him, his body convulsing around him as he began to make raw, thick noises in the back of his throat. It took a moment for him to focus through the blinding, piercing ecstasy, but he finally realised he was asking him the same question, over and over again.

“Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure?”

Knowing exactly what he was talking about, Liam reached up and wrapped his arms around his strong neck, pulling him down to him as he turned his head to the side, revealing the vulnerable curve of his throat. “Do it, Theo. Please. I love you so much. Just do it.”

He shuddered, his hips slamming against him, powering his body into his, and then he felt his warm lips brushing against the tender skin just beneath his ear. “You don’t know how close I came to biting you before,” he said in a dark, velvety voice that was roughened by need. “Every time we made love, it was so hard not to mark you, Li. To hold myself back.”

“You don’t have to fight it anymore.”

Groaning, he buried his face in the curve of his shoulder, and he dug his nails into his biceps. He felt the scrape of his lengthening incisors against his flesh, and then a thick cry of shock was ripped up out of him as he drove his fangs deep. He could feel his cock growing harder…thicker, his body stretched around him to the point that it was a crazy blend of both pleasure and pain as he growled against his shoulder. Then he pulled back his fangs, licking the wound with slow, provocative strokes of his tongue. For a moment Liam was almost frightened, as he became even thicker, his body driving into him with a visceral, savage intensity—but then the pleasure won out over the fear and he gave himself up to it, falling into a crushing wave of ecstasy with him that was so violent, so extreme, he knew he’d never be the same.

He lay there, panting and wrecked, for a long time after, loving the heavy weight of his body draped over his. Loving his warm breath in his ear. The lingering pulses that twitched from that powerful part of him that was still packed deep inside him.

He thought he’d known what pleasure was, but he’d been wrong.

He thought he’d been prepared for how this moment would feel, but he hadn’t had a clue.

With his hot face pressed close to his, Theo finally managed to say, “Damn, I think you killed me.”

He smiled and stretched beneath him. “You stole the words right out of my mouth.”

Bracing himself on one elbow, he stared down at his flushed face as he lifted his hand and pushed back the damp strands of his hair from his cheek. “I thought I knew how it would be, but I wasn’t even close.”

“Better?” he asked, thinking that he’d never known a more sinfully, impossibly sexy man.

He lowered his head and kissed him deeply…hungrily, his lips moving against his as he said, “There’s nothing in the world that could compare.”

With the tips of his fingers, he touched the bite mark Theo had made, a strange warmth still pulsing beneath his skin that felt unbelievably wonderful. “Does this mean that I’m your mate now?” he whispered, filled with a powerful, stunning surge of pride.

His eyes tightened as he threaded his fingers through the hair at his temple. “You’re more than my damn mate, Li. You’re my everything.”

“So what now?” he asked, knowing without any doubt that he was the luckiest guy in the world.

His mouth curled with a boyish, lopsided smile as he said, “Now we go downstairs and get Tori. We bring her up here and tuck her into the little bed that’s set up in the connecting room. Then I carry you back in here and lay you down. Make love to you again…and again, until our bodies are too exhausted to move. And after that, I want to sleep with you, Li. Hold you in my arms through the night, just watching over you…listening to you breathe.” He shook his head a little, saying, “God, there are so many things that I want from you.”

“You can have them all, Theo. Just name them, and they’re yours.”

“Good,” he rasped. “Because I know just what to start with.”

“And what would that be?”

“For you to marry me so that I can call you my husband. But most of all,” he whispered, brushing his lips against his, “I want forever with you, Li. One lifetime just isn’t going to be enough.”

The tender words melted into his heart, stunning him with their beauty, his happiness so powerful and vast and intense, he didn’t know how he kept it all inside. Somehow, in the midst of the nightmare surrounding them, Liam had managed to find his version of heaven, and now this gorgeous, loving, incredible man was his.

He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve it. To deserve him.

But he had a wolf by his tail, and he was never letting him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is done. I hoped you all enjoyed it! Thanks for all of your encouragement along the way x


End file.
